Salvator Rosa (1615-1673) triumphed as a self-described painter-philosopher. He favored the serious themes of classical literature and the Bible as more worthy subjects in which to reflect the noble aspects of his personality. In this painting, he took an episode from the Acts of the Apostles in which St. Peter, having been imprisoned for preaching the Gospel, is rescued by an angel on the eve of his trial. Rosa depicts the scene where the aged apostle is being led by the hand past the sleeping guards, with the angel pointing the way to freedom.
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