Saint Peter by Candlelight

Schalcken's Saint Peter by Candlelight from around 1700 depicts the apostle — possibly in the context of his thrice-repeated denial of Christ in the courtyard of the high priest's house, a night scene that was perfectly suited to Schalcken's nocturnal technique. The night setting of the denial narrative, with its fireside and torch-lit courtyard, had attracted artists from La Tour to Rembrandt precisely because it demanded exactly the kind of artificial light effects in which Schalcken excelled. His Peter is typically depicted as an elderly, earnest figure whose inner conflict is revealed by the revealing quality of candlelight.

The single candle or lamp illuminates Peter's weathered face from below or the side, creating the strong chiaroscuro modeling characteristic of Schalcken's devotional night scenes. The treatment of the light source itself — visible flame or implied by the illuminated objects — demonstrates his long practice in rendering the behavior of artificial light.