The Crucifixion of Saint Peter

The brotherhood of Parisian goldsmiths commissioned Sébastien Bourdon for this painting in May 1643. It represents the martyr of Saint Peter crucified upside down according to his wishes. Sébastien Bourdon was a young painter of 27 when he received the commission for this May for Notre-Dame. He arrived in Paris at the age of 23 after a trip to Rome where he studied the great masters of painting. His colorful palette and the complexity of his compositions were very popular in Paris. This painting was hung in the chapel of Saint Geneviève.