It's a work bt Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, painted for the Cerasi Chapel of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome. The painting depicts the martydrom of Saint Peter by crucifixion- Peter asked that his cross would be put upside down, so as not to imitate his God, Jesus Christ. The large canavas shows ancient Romans, with shielded faces, struggling to erect the cross of the old but muscular apostle. Peter is heavy than his aged body would suggest and his lifting requires the efforts of three men , as if the crime they perpetrate already weighs on them. As we can see. there is not bloodshed or sense of pain; we can also underline that the executioners are characterized as efficent, but anonymous, mechanical forces and without the rancor of those in the "Flagellation of Christ". Only one of their faces, all visible, is hidden in shadow ( used a lot by Caravaggio) and is expressionless. Saint Peter is depicted as an old man, not panic-stricken, but calm and resolut; we can also see a rock on which, maybe, the Church could be founded. However, his position of helpness and his acceptance of his martydrom, contrast with the executioners straining on their task. Supposedly, Caravaggio made use of his new developed nocturnal light-less as a stylistic mannerism to emphasize the picture. Finally, the figures are set relief like against a "dark wall". They're ponderous and their monumental massivness reinforces the importance of the martydrom.
