Saint Peter and Simon Magus 1440 - 1497

Benozzo Gozzoli painted this panel, Saint Peter and Simon Magus, around 1461 using tempera on wood. The scene is dominated by two central figures, Saint Peter, identifiable by his halo, and Simon Magus, the defeated sorcerer lying prostrate on the ground. Simon, in mid-flight, is being pulled down by demonic figures, a clear symbol of his spiritual and moral downfall. This motif of falling, seen here, has ancient roots, from the fall of Icarus to the expulsion from Paradise. The gesture of Saint Peter, with his hand raised in a display of power, is a motif that recurs throughout art history as a symbol of divine authority and spiritual triumph. Like the raised hand of emperors and gods of the Classical world, it conveys not just power, but also a complex interplay of control, blessing, and judgment, engaging viewers on a subconscious level with the idea of spiritual dominion. Thus, the cyclical progression of symbols such as the 'fall' and the 'raised hand' resurfaces and takes on new meanings in different historical contexts.