Saints Peter and Paul

Bartolomeo Manfredi painted Saints Peter and Paul in the 1620s, depicting the two foundational apostles of the Christian church. Manfredi was one of the most important followers of Caravaggio, developing the "Manfrediana methodus" — a method of painting tavern scenes and half-length figures with dramatic chiaroscuro — that deeply influenced Northern European artists visiting Rome. This religious work shows his application of Caravaggist naturalism to sacred subjects.

Manfredi renders the apostles with the stark, raking light and dark backgrounds characteristic of the Caravaggesque school. The close-up, half-length format and naturalistic treatment of aged faces demonstrate the radical realism that Caravaggio's followers brought to religious painting.