Artwork of the Week: September 8
Gustave Brion (1824-1877), 'Jesus et Pierre Sur Les Eaux (Jesus and Peter on the Water),' 1863, oil on canvas, 44 x 72 1/2 inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, purchase made possible by Vern G. and Judy N. Swanson, 2019.
When Gustave Brion exhibited this painting at the Paris Salon in 1863, one critic wrote, “In the midst of immensity, the small figure of Christ in white drapery, grazing the waves like a [gull], supports the good saint Peter, who struggles to stay afloat. It is simple, grand and masterful.”
In the vastness of a churning sea, the calm and assured figure of Christ stands as a beacon in the storm. The Savior lifts Peter, who looks up—grasping for the Lord, the fear visible in his face as he sinks into the ominous waves. The cross-shape of the fishing boat’s mast is visible against the horizon, as the storm’s gusts blow the fishing boat away, further isolating Jesus and his ardent disciple.
