Description
Saint Peter and the Apostles Heal the Sick and Free the Possessed belongs to the apostolic cycle in the right transept of the Upper Basilica at Assisi. The scene represents the growth of the early Christian community through the miracles performed by Peter and the other Apostles. Saint Peter occupies the visual centre.
With one hand he attends to a sick man and with the other acts upon a possessed figure from whom small demons emerge. Other Apostles stand behind him, including the youthful Saint John. Architecture plays an especially important role. A large central structure, accompanied by buildings at either side, directs attention toward Peter. The intuitive perspective differs radically from later Renaissance systems but reveals a growing concern with locating the action within a three-dimensional environment.
