Saint Peter Walks on the Sea (Saint Pierre marche sur la mer)

James Tissot · 1886–1894
Brooklyn Museum, New York

Peter has gone down into the water up to his waist and throws up both arms in fear. At the right edge Jesus stands on the surface of the lake in white and reaches out both hands towards him.

Behind them, in the moonlight, the boat with the other disciples is a dark shape with lanterns. Tissot painted the night water in long, shining strokes.

From the text

Peter “got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus” (Matthew 14:29)

“beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” (Matthew 14:30)

“Immediately Jesus reached out His hand” (Matthew 14:31)

The artist’s own

Lanterns hanging on the boat

Jesus cut by the edge of the picture

Details

Peter

Sunk to his waist, he throws up his arms.

The hands

Jesus stretches out his hands to him.

The boat

The dark boat with the disciples and its lanterns.

The moon

The full moon behind the clouds.

James Tissot, French, 1836–1902. Brooklyn Museum, New York (Purchased by public subscription, 00.159.140) · Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper · Brooklyn Museum (Commons file page, «Permission»): "This image was uploaded by the Brooklyn Museum as a content partnership, and is considered to have no known copyright restrictions by the institutions of the Brooklyn Museum." — "No known copyright restrictions".