Meanwhile Peter was still in the courtyard downstairs. One of the High Priest's serving-maids came by and saw him there warming himself. She looked into his face and said, "You were there too, with this man from Nazareth, this Jesus." But he denied it: "I know nothing," he said; "I do not understand what you mean." Then he went outside into the porch; and the maid saw him there again and began to say to the bystanders, "He is one of them" and again he denied it.
Again, a little later, the bystanders said to Peter, "Surely you are one of them. You must be; you are a Galilean." At this he broke out into curses, and with an oath he said, "I do not know this man you speak of." Then came the second cock-crow; and Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, "Before the cock crows twice you will disown me three times." And he burst into tears. Mark14: 66-72
Caravaggio painted this picture in 1610, a year after he was assaulted outside a tavern. He knew the man who oversaw the attack. We might wonder how that betrayal impacted the emotion we feel in this painting of Peter being confronted in the courtyard and denying he knows Jesus.
The artist has reduced the drama of the scripture verses to just three large close-up figures. It is a scene full of human emotion. Notice the soldier and the maid are linked while Peter is a little distanced. He doesn't look like a saint, does he? He looks rather like a very common man, even sickly and with a furrowed brow. His tense hands are turned in on his heart. There is a harsh light coming over the soldier's shoulder - Peter is under the spot light.
This soldier, with his ornamented helmet and gauntletted, pointing hand has the power. The woman has just made her announcement: "He is one of them." "Them!" Oh, there's that word again. We love the word them. It's such a power-word; a dismissive word. It means different; not like us.
The picture-story is one of extremes. There is a strong contrast between light and dark. The soldier is in darkness while Peter is in light. We might say Peter steps into the light when his conscience is troubled and he bursts into tears realizing he's betrayed his dearest friend.
This drama of light is called chiaroscuro. Caravaggio is a master in depicting the tension between light and darkness. The soldier and the woman have made their accusation and are waiting for Peter's reply. His eyes look as if he has already cried or is on the verge of tears.
This is a painting of human imperfection - the drama of those who have no love for Jesus and Peter who has failed the test of love. These verses and the emotionally charged painting focus for us that every Christian at some point will be questioned and have his/her loyalty to Jesus tested. Maybe it happens often. Maybe every day.
