The Release of St. Peter (1635) is a late work by the Genoese Baroque painter Bernardo Strozzi (c. 1581–1644), executed during his Venetian period and now in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales ^[3][4]. The canvas, measuring 114 × 125.5 cm, depicts the miraculous liberation of the Apostle Peter from prison by an angel, a subject that allowed Strozzi to display the rich colour and broad, energetic brushwork for which he is celebrated ^[1][3]. Strozzi, nicknamed il Cappuccino and il Prete Genovese, is considered a principal founder of the Baroque style in Venetian painting, and this work exemplifies the fusion of Genoese naturalism with Venetian colourism that defined his mature output ^[1].

Artist: Bernardo Strozzi and the Genoese–Venetian synthesis

Born in Genoa around 1581, Strozzi trained first in the workshop of Cesare Corte, a minor painter whose work reflected the late Mannerist style of Luca Cambiaso, and subsequently with Pietro Sorri, an innovative Sienese painter residing in Genoa from 1596 to 1598 ^[1]. Sorri is credited with leading Strozzi away from the artificial elegance of Cambiaso's late Mannerism toward a greater naturalism ^[1]. Although not believed to be related to the Florentine Strozzi family, Bernardo established himself as a leading figure in Genoa before moving to Venice in the latter part of his career, where his work exercised considerable influence on artistic developments in both cities ^[1]. His subject range was wide, encompassing history, allegorical, genre, and portrait paintings as well as still lifes, and he worked in both canvas and fresco ^[1]. The Release of St. Peter, dated to 1635, belongs to his Venetian years, when his powerful art stood out for its rich, glowing colour and broad, energetic brushstrokes ^[1][3].

Subject and iconography: the angelic liberation of Peter

The painting illustrates the New Testament account of the Apostle Peter's miraculous escape from Herod's prison, as described in the Acts of the Apostles. Strozzi renders the moment of divine intervention with dramatic immediacy, showing the angel leading the still-stunned Peter from his cell. The subject was a favoured one in the Counter-Reformation period, as it embodied themes of divine providence and the triumph of faith over earthly authority. Strozzi's treatment emphasizes the emotional contrast between the sleeping or bewildered guards and the radiant angelic presence, a juxtaposition that heightens the miraculous nature of the event. The composition's shallow depth of field brings the viewer into the intimate space of the prison cell, while the artist's characteristic broad brushwork lends the scene a sense of urgent movement ^[1].

Technique: Venetian colour and energetic brushwork

Strozzi's late style, fully evident in this canvas, is distinguished by rich, glowing colour and broad, energetic brushstrokes ^[1]. The painting demonstrates his synthesis of Genoese naturalism, learned from Sorri, with the colouristic traditions of Venice, where he worked in the latter part of his career ^[1]. The artist's handling of light — falling across the angel's garments and illuminating Peter's astonished face — reveals his engagement with the dramatic chiaroscuro associated with Caravaggio, yet Strozzi's palette is notably warmer and more luminous than that of the Roman master. The physical texture of the paint, applied with visible confidence, contributes to the sense of immediacy and emotional intensity that characterizes the work. This technique, combining Venetian colour with dynamic brushwork, was central to Strozzi's influence on the development of Baroque painting in Venice ^[1].

Provenance: the Art Gallery of New South Wales acquisition

The painting entered the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1966, where it is registered under the accession number OO1.1966 ^[4]. The gallery's primary source record documents the work's dimensions as 114 × 125.5 cm and confirms its attribution to Bernardo Strozzi ^[3][4]. The work remains in the gallery's collection in Sydney, where it forms part of the institution's holdings of European Old Master paintings ^[3][4].

Provenance summary

Date	Event
1635	Execution of the painting by Bernardo Strozzi [3]
1966	Acquisition by the Art Gallery of New South Wales (accession OO1.1966) [4]

Historical context: the Baroque and the Counter-Reformation

The painting belongs to the Baroque era, a period spanning the late 16th to early 18th centuries that emerged in response to the Counter-Reformation, when the Catholic Church sought to inspire faith through powerful and emotionally engaging imagery. Strozzi's career, spanning from his birth in Genoa in c. 1581 to his death in Venice in 1644, coincided with the flourishing of this style ^[1][2]. His early training in the late Mannerist tradition of Cambiaso, followed by Sorri's naturalism, placed him at a pivotal moment in the transition toward Baroque expressiveness ^[1]. By the time he executed The Release of St. Peter in 1635, he had fully absorbed the Venetian colouristic tradition and was himself considered a principal founder of the Baroque style in Venetian painting ^[1]. His wide-ranging output — from portraits and genre scenes to religious narratives — reflects the diversity of subject matter that characterized the period ^[1].

Related works and artistic legacy

Strozzi's powerful art exercised considerable influence on artistic developments in both Genoa and Venice ^[1]. His synthesis of naturalism and colourism, evident in works such as The Release of St. Peter, helped shape the direction of Baroque painting in northern Italy. The artist's broad, energetic brushwork anticipated the freedom of handling that would be developed further by later generations of Venetian painters ^[1]. His ability to combine dramatic religious narrative with rich colour and dynamic composition made him a model for artists seeking to convey emotional intensity within the conventions of Counter-Reformation sacred art ^[1].

Frequently asked questions

When was The Release of St. Peter painted?

The painting is dated to 1635, according to the Wikidata record for the work ^[3]. This places it in the latter part of Strozzi's career, during his Venetian period ^[1].

Where is the painting located today?

The painting is in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, where it has been held since 1966 under accession number OO1.1966 ^[3][4].

What are the dimensions of the work?

The canvas measures 114 × 125.5 cm, as recorded in the Wikidata entry and confirmed by the Art Gallery of New South Wales ^[3][4].