Saint Peter and Saint John at the Gate of the Temple

Albrecht Dürer · 1513
The Met, New York

This is the last plate of Dürer’s Engraved Passion, dated 1513 — the one scene of the set taken from the Acts of the Apostles.

The lame man sits on straw at the temple gate, his legs bound in cloths and a bowl beside him. Peter, bald and bearded, stretches out his hand to him; young John stands behind, and onlookers whisper by the columns.

From the text

Peter and John going up to the temple (Acts 3:1)

A man lame from birth at the temple gate, begging (Acts 3:2–3)

Peter speaking to him and reaching for his hand (Acts 3:6–7)

The artist’s own

The temple gate as a dim hall with heavy columns

Onlookers in tall caps and turbans of Dürer’s day

The date 1513 in the corner

Details

The lame man

He sits on straw, his legs wrapped in cloths, his palm open.

The bowl

His begging bowl on the floor.

Peter’s hand

Peter reaches out his hand to him.

John

Young John with long curly hair stands behind Peter.

Albrecht Dürer, German, 1471–1528. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Fletcher Fund, 1919; acc. 19.73.18) · Engraving · Public Domain — The Met Open Access (CC0). The Met Collection API record: "isPublicDomain": true; The Met marks such works on its website "with the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) icon".

The verses

Acts 3:1–8One afternoon Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those entering the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked directly at him, as did John. “Look at us!” said Peter. So the man gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Taking him by the right hand, Peter helped him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong. He sprang to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and leaping and praising God.