Liberation of St Peter from the dungeon

Listed in the collection of the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum are three examples of Hendrick van Steenwyck the Younger's "Liberation of St Peter" in a dark cellar vault (oil/oak, 37 x 47 cm, signed bottom centre: HENR. V. STEN. IOng. 1604, inv. no. GG 723; oil/canvas, 155 x 197.5 cm, signed on middle step under the angel: HNE. V. STEINWICK, 1621, inv. no. GG 731; oil/oak, 24 x 30 cm, signed on the coffer: H. V. S. 1635, inv. no. GG 641). These night pieces differ in format and picture support, as well as in the distribution of light sources and staffage. Characteristic features are the vaults supported by solid column shafts.
As in the Vienna examples, in the Salzburg painting the title scene plays a subordinate role. Essentially, this is an architecture and night piece. Various artificial light sources of different intensity illuminate the darkness of the dungeon. At the right-hand edge, a crackling fire provides warmth and light. A candle burns steadily on the wall, emphasising the silhouette of the centre column. A lantern above St Peter glows gently, its rays accentuating the converging ridges of the vault – perhaps to be seen as a reference to the episode in the Acts of the Apostles (12, 1–11). Staircases leading both up and down suggest the multi-level Jerusalem prison where St Peter was chained at the behest of Herod, and a dark corridor hints at the extent of the individual storeys. The guards sleeping in the fore- and middle-ground are clothed in bright yellow, red and petrol blue tones; their halberds and sabres lie useless as they sleep. On the right in the middle-ground, men keep watch round a fire; their garb is muted, like that of the angel, St Peter and the guards sleeping beside them. The prison space between the two scenes seems vast, so that the liberation goes unnoticed. St Peter turns away in disbelief, until the angel of the Lord strides up to him, saying: "Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did." "And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision." (Acts 12, 8–9). Pope Gregory the Great laid down 1 August as the Feast of St Peter in Chains. This feast was removed from the Roman Catholic calendar in 1960.

Translated catalogue text from:
Ducke Astrid: Zurückgeholt. Residenzgalerie Salzburg, Salzburg 2017, S. 62, 64
Translation: Gail Schamberger MA, Salzburg