Delivery of the Keys
Summary
The Delivery of the Keys depicts the moment when Christ gives the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Saint Peter, establishing Peter's authority as the first Pope and foundation of the Catholic Church. This scene represents Christ's conferral of authority upon Peter to "bind and loose"—to make binding decisions for the Church. The keys symbolize the power to admit souls to heaven and have become the central symbol of papal authority.
Biblical Reference
Book(s): Gospel of Matthew
Chapters/Verses: Matthew 16:18-19 ("And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church... I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.")
Artworks Depicting This Story
Jesus giving the Keys to St. Peter Self-researched
A monumental composition with marble throne. Lorenzo Veneziano was the first Venetian painter to move away from Byzantine models toward the Gothic style.
Delivery of the Keys
Notable for Perugino's characteristic breadth and distance of spatial backgrounds.
The Delivery of the Keys Self-researched
A large altarpiece depicting Christ delivering the keys of the Church to Saint Peter, displayed in the Chapel of St. Peter. Muziano was one of the most prominent painters active in Rome in the mid-to-late sixteenth century.