Luigi Valadier (1726–1785)
Bas-Relief with the Crucifixion of St. Peter, ca. 1770
Gilt bronze, lapis lazuli, and silver
diam., 17 1⁄4 in. (43.8 cm); frame, 21 1/2 × 21 1/2 in. (54.6 × 54.6 cm)
The Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago / Art Resource, NY
This framed bas-relief reproduces the Crucifixion of St. Peter, the celebrated painting by the Bolognese artist Guido Reni (1575–1642), now in the Pinacoteca Vaticana in Rome. It was probably created about the time Valadier was at work on the high altar of the Cathedral of Monreale. Because of the costly materials used, this devotional object must have been made for a prominent and wealthy patron.