Saint Peter, from The Holy Family and the Twelve Apostles

Art Historical Context

Step into the devotional world of 18th Venice with *Saint Peter, from The Holy Family and the Apostles* (1742), an exquisite engraving by Marco Alvise Pitteri. This print captures the Apostle Peter, often depicted with keys symbolizing his role as the keeper of heaven's gates, as part of a larger series honoring Christ's family and followers. Pitteri, a master Venetian engraver active in the Rococo era was renowned for his precise reproductive prints that brought grand religious themes to a wider audience beyond oil paintings. Crafted in black ink on paper (plate: 44.8 × 34.8 cm), the engraving showcases intaglio techniques—lines incised into a metal plate, inked, and pressed onto damp paper for rich tonal depth and fine detail. Pitteri's skill in capturing texture, from flowing drapery to expressive faces, reflects Venice's vibrant printmaking tradition, influenced by artists like Giovanni Battista Piazzetta. Such prints were affordable devotional aids for homes and churches, democratizing sacred art during the Catholic Enlightenment. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, this work highlights the cultural importance of engraving in preserving and disseminating Baroque-Rococo religious iconography, blending spiritual fervor with artistic virtuosity. A testament to Pitteri's legacy, it invites visitors to ponder Peter's steadfast faith amid Venice's gilded age.

About the Artist

Marco Alvise Pitteri · 1702–1786

Comment on works: Copper engraver