Primary sourcePaintingc. 1546-1550

The Crucifixion of Saint Peter

Michelangelo · c. 1546-1550

Michelangelo's last fresco, painted for the Vatican's Pauline Chapel, showing the martyrdom of Saint Peter.

Michelangelo's final fresco as a painter, possibly including his own self-portrait within the scene.

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Fresco in a gilded architectural frame showing the Crucifixion of Saint Peter. Peter, nude, is being raised upside down on a cross by several men. Soldiers with spears and a horse stand at left, and a crowd of onlookers fills the scene, some kneeling and digging at lower right. Hills and a cloudy sky are in the background. — Michelangelo, The Crucifixion of Saint Peter, c. 1546-1550. Vatican Museums.

About this source

What it is

This fresco was painted by Michelangelo around 1546–1550, commissioned by Pope Paul III for the Pauline Chapel in the Vatican Palace. It was his last work as a painter, showing Saint Peter being raised upside down on his cross.

Why it matters

Restoration work revealed a figure believed to be Michelangelo's own self-portrait, standing in a red tunic and blue turban in the upper corner. The painting broke with convention by making Peter twist to stare directly at the viewer, demanding to be witnessed. Critics at the time attacked its disproportionate figures, though later scholars linked this to Michelangelo's late style rather than failing health.

Why it matters

Look closer

Why does Peter's gaze meet the viewer's eyes instead of looking passively upward, as in older paintings of martyrs?
If the turbaned figure really is Michelangelo, why might he have placed himself in this scene?
Why did early viewers criticize this fresco, and do you agree with their criticism?

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