Catherine Altar: Martyrdom of Saint Peter

Hi everyone! My name is Isabella, and I'm so excited to explore a special painting with you today! nn This painting is called Catherine Altar: Martyrdom of Saint Peter. That's a very long name, isn't it? It was painted a long, long time ago, back in 1512, by an artist from Germany. nn Can you find the man in the middle of the painting? That's Saint Peter. He's being lifted up on a cross. The cross looks different, doesn't it? It's upside down! The artist wanted to show how difficult this moment was for Saint Peter. nn What do you think the people in the painting are doing?



nn Wow, you're all so smart! The men in the painting are lifting Saint Peter onto the cross. Look at the colors of their clothes! They're wearing bright reds, blues, and greens. Do you think the artist used these colors to make the painting more exciting? nn Now, look closely at Saint Peter's face. How do you think he's feeling? The artist used light and shadow to make us feel sad for Saint Peter. We can see the pain on his face. nn What do you notice about the expressions on the men's faces?



nn You're right! Some of the men look like they're working really hard, while others don't seem to care as much. That's interesting, isn't it? nn Now, look around the edges of the painting. Do you see the beautiful golden archway? It's decorated with little angels called cherubs and lots of leaves and flowers. This kind of fancy decoration was very popular in paintings made a long time ago. nn The artist wanted us to focus on Saint Peter in the middle. He did this by making the painting balanced, like a seesaw! Everything points our eyes to the middle of the painting. nn What do you think about this painting? It tells a powerful story, doesn't it? Art can help us learn about history and understand different people's lives. Thank you for exploring this amazing artwork with me today!