Verloochening door Petrus 1670 - 1682

Melchior Küsel’s etching, Verloochening door Petrus, presents a densely populated courtyard scene, rendered with meticulous detail in blacks and whites. The overall composition, teeming with figures clustered around a central fire, is framed by the stark architecture of classical buildings. The artist employs hatching and cross-hatching to modulate tones, creating a dramatic contrast between the firelight and the encroaching darkness. This technique not only highlights the central narrative—Peter's denial of Christ—but also imbues the scene with a sense of moral ambiguity. The architectural elements, rendered with precision, serve as a backdrop that both contains and comments on the human drama unfolding within. The spatial arrangement, carefully constructed, guides the viewer's eye through the scene, emphasizing the psychological tension between Peter and his accusers. The etching's formal qualities—its use of light and shadow, its detailed rendering of architectural space—collectively underscore themes of denial, betrayal, and the interplay between individual conscience and societal judgment.