Description
The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew is a painting by Caravaggio that appears to date from about 1603–1606: on the right a young, beardless Christ in a pink robe and blue cloak points to himself, the brother in the middle holds a fish, and the older brother on the left, in a brown cloak, looks at Christ. The original, oil on canvas, is 140.1 cm high and 176 cm wide and belongs to the Royal Collection, the British royal art collection. Our painter paints it for you by hand in oil on canvas in 8 landscape sizes, from 52 x 42 to 170 x 134 cm, or to a size you give us, and before it ships we send you a photograph of the finished painting.
| Title: | The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew |
| Other titles: | Vocazione dei santi Pietro e Andrea · Die Berufung der Heiligen Petrus und Andreas |
| Painter: | Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610) |
| Year painted: | c. 1603–1606 |
| Original size: | 140.1 cm x 176 cm (height x width) |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Painting style: | Baroque, tenebrism |
| Located at: | Royal Collection, Hampton Court Palace, United Kingdom |
| Our reproduction: | Hand-painted oil on canvas, 8 sizes or made to measure |
The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew – Caravaggio
What does The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew show?
Three men, seen from the waist up, fill the horizontal canvas and press close to its front edge. Behind them there is no shore and no nets, only darkness from which the light picks out faces, hands and folds of cloth.
Christ stands on the right, young and beardless, in a pink robe with a blue cloak. He points to himself, as if to say: follow me.
The brothers look much older than he does. The one in the middle holds a fish, the sign of the trade he is about to leave behind. The brother on the left, in brown, looks at Christ. Which of the two is Peter and which Andrew the painting does not say; Wikipedia presumes that the more prominent brother, the one with the fish, is Simon.
What story does this scene tell?
The scene follows the Gospel of Matthew: walking by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw the fishermen Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, told them to follow him and he would make them fishers of men, and at once they left their nets.
Caravaggio leaves out the water, the boat and the nets and keeps only the moment of the call: the beckoning hand, the fish that recalls the old work, the left-hand brother’s gaze fixed on Christ. Later the same Peter will deny knowing Jesus, the moment shown in The Denial of Saint Peter.
Why is this painting so special?
First, because of its rediscovery. Long thought a fairly worthless copy of a lost original, it was declared an authentic Caravaggio by the Royal Collection on 10 November 2006, after six years of restoration and examination, and outside experts have supported that verdict.
The cleaning also revealed lines incised into the ground of the canvas that mark out Saint Peter’s ear and the eyes of Christ, which Wikipedia calls typical of Caravaggio’s technique. The edges are rather damaged, while the centre is in good condition. The English Wikipedia article says more about its dating and attribution.
And because it needs so little: three half-length figures, one fish and one gesture tell the whole Gospel passage. Caravaggio painted from live models, and the two fishermen look like real people, not idealised saints.
Where is the original of The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew?
It belongs to the Royal Collection, the British royal art collection held in trust for the Crown, whose works are rarely sold. According to Wikipedia it was on display at Hampton Court Palace near London from 2022 to 2026.
Charles I, a keen collector, bought it in 1637. It was sold during the Commonwealth, bought back by Charles II after the Restoration, and has stayed in the Royal Collection ever since.
The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew or another Caravaggio?
The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew is a quiet canvas painting about the start of a journey, well suited to a study, a library, a dining room or a hallway. Another call is told in The Calling of Saint Matthew, where Christ summons Matthew.
From the same Contarelli Chapel cycle in Rome comes The Inspiration of Saint Matthew, where an angel swoops down to dictate the Gospel to Matthew, and in The Incredulity of Saint Thomas the risen Christ himself shows the apostle his wound.
All the famous Caravaggio paintings that we paint to order are on the Caravaggio page. Among them this one stands out for its stillness: nobody falls, nobody suffers, three men simply look at one another.
How does our painter paint your Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew?
Each one is painted to order, layer by layer, in oil on canvas. The painter first lays a dark tone over the whole surface and places the three figures on it, so that Christ’s hand, the fish and the left-hand brother’s face sit in proportion from the start.
Then he builds up the light, from dark to bright: clean, full colour for the pink robe and the blue cloak, warmer earthy tones for the brown cloak, a pale gleam on the fish.
Because this Caravaggio reproduction is painted by hand, the brushstrokes stay visible in the light areas and the shadows keep a depth that no print has. An oil painting reproduction like yours also changes with the day: calm in the morning, while under a lamp at night the three faces come out of the dark more strongly.
Which size for which wall?
In brief: 52 x 42 or 60 x 46 cm for a narrow wall or a small room, 73 x 60 and 85 x 67 cm above a chest of drawers or in a hallway, 105 x 85 and 120 x 95 cm above a sofa, and 150 x 120 and 170 x 134 cm for a large, empty wall.
We paint The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew in 8 landscape sizes (width x height): 52 x 42, 60 x 46, 73 x 60, 85 x 67, 105 x 85, 120 x 95, 150 x 120 and 170 x 134 cm. The closest to the original is 170 x 134 cm, which is 6 cm narrower and 6.1 cm lower.
The half-length figures fill almost the whole canvas, so in the larger sizes the faces seem to share the room with you. As a painting for the living room, 120 x 95 cm works well above a sofa or a dining table; above a desk, 73 x 60 cm is enough.
Can I have a different size or a frame?
Yes. Christ is at the right edge and the brothers fill the centre and the left, so we adapt the composition to other proportions without cutting off a hand or a face. For your Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew, send us the width and height you have in mind and we will reply with a price and a production time.
Your Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew travels rolled, on a stretcher bar or framed, and our workshop in Slovenia does the stretching and framing. Frames are picked in our 3D app, which only handles frame choice; a view of the painting on your own wall is a separate service.
When and how does my painting arrive?
We start painting as soon as your order reaches us, and in 15 to 45 working days your painting is ready to travel. Before dispatch you get a photograph of the finished Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew, and we still make any change you ask for. Parcels within Slovenia and to the rest of the EU clear no customs, and every order is covered by our returns policy.
A scene about a call and a new beginning makes a good gift for a confirmation, a new job or a new home, or for anyone named Peter or Andrew; a wall art voucher lets the recipient choose the size.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the original kept?
It belongs to the British Royal Collection and was on display at Hampton Court Palace from 2022 to 2026.
Who is in the painting?
Christ and the fishermen brothers Simon Peter and Andrew, whom he calls to become his disciples.
Is it a print?
No. Every one is a hand-painted copy, made with a brush and oil paints on canvas.
How big is the original canvas?
It is 140.1 cm high and 176 cm wide; of our sizes, 170 x 134 cm is the closest.
Is it really by Caravaggio?
It was long taken for a copy; in 2006, after six years of restoration, the Royal Collection declared it an authentic work by Caravaggio.
Would it suit a bedroom or a living room?
A living room, dining room or study suits it better than a bedroom, since it rewards a close, unhurried look.
Can you paint it in a size not on the list?
Yes. Send us the width and height you want and we will let you know the price and the date.
How long does it take?
From 15 to 45 working days, and the photograph of your two fishermen and Christ reaches you before dispatch.
- Subject: Christ calls the fishermen brothers Peter and Andrew; one of them holds a fish, and Christ points to himself.
- Original: c. 1603–1606, oil on canvas, 140.1 x 176 cm, Royal Collection, Hampton Court Palace.
- Ours: hand-painted to order in oil on canvas, in 8 landscape sizes from 52 x 42 to 170 x 134 cm or made to measure.
- Worth knowing: The painting was long thought to be a copy; it was recognised as Caravaggio’s own work only in 2006.
