The Liberation of Saint Peter

The Liberation of
Saint Peter
Tournai (?), 1460
Wool and silk
H. 2.72 ; L. 2.21
Beauvais Cathedral
CL. 1235

This piece, featuring the angel releasing the apostle from Herod's prison is the fifth piece of a choral tapestry formerly hung in Beauvais Cathedral, commissioned in 1460 by Bishop Guillaume de Hellande whose coat of arms are on the left, with the chapter's coats of arms on the right. The word "Peace" probably refers to the treaty between France and England signed in 1444. The style of the piece, marked by the calm demeanors and the smooth, shaded folds, is somewhat close to that of Jacques Daret, student of Robert Campin, who worked at Tournai.