V&A director Tristram Hunt on his favourite book of the Bible.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Mt 16:18-19).
The Risen Christ addresses his disciples, presenting a humble man with an unexpect- ed gift. In doing so, he selects Peter as the foundation stone of the Church. Its familiarity never diminishes its importance; it remains as dramatic and theologically significant with each reading. At the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in South Kensington, we enjoy the great privilege of revisiting this momentous event with renewed visual power, animated through the masterful skill of Raphael’s expert hand.
