Interior of Saint Peter’s in Rome

The Antwerp painter Van Ehrenberg portrayed both imaginary Renaissance palaces and actual churches in his work. His preference for theatrical staging, dramatic lighting effects and strong spatial arrangements is particularly noteworthy. In this Interior of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the principal Roman Catholic Church, he uses the architectural grandeur to create a religious pathos that the protagonists of the…

The Antwerp painter Van Ehrenberg portrayed both imaginary Renaissance palaces and actual churches in his work. His preference for theatrical staging, dramatic lighting effects and strong spatial arrangements is particularly noteworthy. In this Interior of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the principal Roman Catholic Church, he uses the architectural grandeur to create a religious pathos that the protagonists of the Counter-Reformation must have immediately appreciated. His approach is the antithesis of that deployed by Emanuel de Witte and Hendrik van Vliet, who painted austere interior perspectives of Protestant churches.