Saint Luke, in chapter 10 of the Book of Acts of the Apostles, tells the story of Centurion Cornelius. Following a vision, he sets out to meet Peter and becomes a Christian disciple. He is one of the first to be baptized by Peter after Jesus’ death.<\/p>\n
“There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Regiment. He was a devout man and feared God with all his household. He gave alms generously to the people and prayed continually to God. About the ninth hour of the day, he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, ‘Cornelius!’ [\u2026] ‘Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter.'” (Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 10, verses 1-6) [\u2026] “The next day, [Peter] entered Caesarea. Cornelius met him and fell at his feet and worshipped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, ‘Stand up; I too am a man.'” (Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 10, verses 24-26)<\/p>\n
The painter chose to highlight the last verse of the story: “Stand up. I am only a man myself.” In the center-right, the Apostle Peter raises the prostrate centurion. Symbolically, Cornelius’ family is positioned on the left, the side of the proscribed. A woman, holding a child, points towards Peter. As mentioned in the text, the brothers from Joppa stand near him. The large columns in the background evoke the pillars of the cathedral, symbolically linking the past story with the present place where the faithful find themselves. This painting illustrates the interior of the Saint Peter Chapel.<\/p>\n