37 Triptych of St. Peter, Christ as the Savior, and the Madonna of Charity

late 20th century, Extended size: 7 1/8” x 11”

This Triptych, or picture with three panels, depict St. Peter, Christ as the Savior, and the Madonna of Charity. These are copies of three works done by the artist El Greco in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century. Domenikos Theotokopoulos, El Greco (the Greek) was a Greek iconographer who moved to Spain in 1576 and adopted a more contemporary form of painting, but nonetheless still inspired by his background in iconography. In the first panel we have St. Peter. Peter in Hebrew is Petros which means rock. In Matthew 16:18-19 Christ tells peter that he will be the foundation that the Church will be built upon and that he will be given the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Of course many Catholic images of Peter would emphasize this connection, and in the depiction, Peter is standing on a rock, which is a reference to his name as well as a good foundation to build upon. In his left hand he is holding the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, which is a symbol of his ability to bind and to loose.

The second panel shows Christ as Savior, His right hand is raised in a blessing while his left hand rests on a globe representing that he is the Savior of the world.

The third panel represents the Madonna of Charity and is based on the medieval depictions of the Virgin of Mercy. In the Virgin of Mercy painting Mary’s arms are extended wide as the poor and suffering take refuge under her mantle. This is also depicted in this image. It is interesting to note that in the El Greco version, the individuals who are taking refuge under Mary’s mantle are aristocrats from the city of Toledo, Spain.