Christ's charge to Peter. Cartoon

Summary

This print depicts the scene of Christ's Charge to Peter, combining text from two books of the bible, Matthew and John. According to Matthew, Christ asks Peter to care for his sheep and gives Peter the keys to his kingdom of Heaven, representing Peter's role of responsibility in the church and towards the faithful. The lake on the left is a visual continuation from the tapestry adjacent to it, the Miraculous Draught of Fishes - see 1917.320.33. This print is in reverse and after one of the so-called Raphael Cartoons owned by the Queen, seven full size designs for tapestries by Italian Renaissance artist Raphael (1483-1520). They illustrate stories from the Bible about the lives of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.