St Peter, two heads of bearded old men, and two sketches of heads 1710 - 1780

Francesco La Marra made this sketch of St. Peter around the mid-18th century using pen and brown ink. These are studies of heads, and in particular, studies of the head of St. Peter, one of the most important figures in the Catholic Church. We can tell that this is St Peter from the keys, his traditional attribute as the keeper of the gates of heaven. The Catholic Church in the 18th century was a powerful institution, and images like this played an important role in maintaining its authority. The church used images of saints to inspire faith and devotion among the faithful. The artist’s focus on St. Peter is therefore very much of its time and place. Drawings like this also allow us to look into the artist's training, and the drawings and models on which he may have relied. If you are interested in the context in which La Marra was working, explore the vast collection of prints and drawings here at the SMK.