This is a depiction of Saint Peter preaching in Jerusalem on Pentecost, by Poerson.
In the painting, St. Peter stands at the top of a small flight of three steps, between two twisted pillars. Peter appears to be about forty years old. He has thin, grayish hair and a beard. He wears a pale blue robe and a yellow cloak. Peter looks upwards, raising both hands in the air.
A soldier stands in front of St. Peter. He looks backwards. His right hand is placed on his hip. The soldier wears a tan tunic, a light blue cloak, sandals, and a black helmet with green, white, and red plumes on it. Beyond the soldier, in the background of the painting, is an assorted gathering of people. There is an old man, wearing a red robe, who holds spectacles up to his eyes with his left hand while holding a book against his knee with his right hand. There is a young boy, a young woman, and the faces of men in the background. Beyond the people, there is a large brown arch. Beyond the arch, part of a large, pillared stone building is visible against the pale sky.
Beside St. Peter, on the right side of the painting, a half-dressed young man grasps the pillar beside the apostle.
A woman sits on the ground near the bottom step of the flight of stairs on which the apostle stands. The woman has white skin and dark brown hair, which is twisted behind her head. The woman’s right shoulder and part of her right breast are exposed. She wears a light blue cloak over a yellow dress. She holds a young child on her lap. Beside the woman and the child is a dog.
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Isabella Childs
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