Artwork
La duda de San Pedro
La duda de San Pedro is an oil painting by the Realist artist José Marcelo Contreras Muñoz. It dates from 1864 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1864 by Spanish painter José Marcelo Contreras Muñoz, *La duda de San Pedro* is an oil on canvas that portrays a turbulent maritime episode. The work is part of the Prado Museum’s collection and exemplifies the Realist approach that dominated the artist’s output, combining narrative detail with a heightened sense of immediacy.
Subject & Meaning
The scene presents a small vessel caught in a storm, its occupants expressing fear and desperation. A figure dressed in white stands on the shore, extending a hand toward a kneeling man in red who is partially submerged. The contrast between the calm, halo‑ed figure and the chaotic water suggests a moral or spiritual dilemma, echoing the biblical doubt of Saint Peter.
Technique & Style
Contreras employs a stark chiaroscuro, juxtaposing deep shadows of the stormy sky with bright highlights that illuminate the central figures. The half‑opened sail catches a faint light, emphasizing movement. The brushwork is precise in the facial expressions yet looser in the surrounding sea, reinforcing the tension between realism and dramatic storytelling.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the Spanish national collection and was eventually assigned to the Museo del Prado, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the 19th‑century institutional interest in works that combined historical or religious themes with contemporary realist techniques.
Context
In the mid‑1800s, Spanish art was navigating the tension between academic historicism and emerging realist tendencies. Contreras, known for historical and genre subjects, used this biblical motif to explore human uncertainty, aligning with broader European interests in moral narratives rendered through everyday, naturalistic settings.
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Artist & collection
Artist
José Marcelo Contreras y Muñoz (16 January 1827 – 1890/92) was a Spanish painter and art professor. Largely remembered as a painter of historical scenes, he also created portraits and genre works.
The Miraculous Draught of Fishes
chiamata di san pietro che cammina sulle acque
Miraculous draught of fish
Kristus asettaa myrskyn, harjoitelma Raahen kirkon alttaritaulua varten
The Calling of Peter and Andrew
Christi Himmelfahrt
Christ Curing a Possessed Man
The Baptism of Christ
Saint John the Evangelist on Patmos
Homer’s Riddle
The Raising of Lazarus
Berufung des hl. Andreas