The story portrayed here is recounted in the Acts of the Apostles (12: 6-8). King Herod Agrippa arrested St Peter in Jerusalem for his preaching. In prison the saint was bound with two heavy chains and guarded by soldiers, but during the night an angel came and set him free. Antolínez chose to represent the moment when the angel woke Peter and the chains fell from his hands.
The variety of colours normally used by Antolínez, as seen in this picture, make him one of the most original artists of his time.
(National Gallery of Ireland: Essential Guide, 2008)
From Titian to Delacroix: Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Ireland, Yokohama Sogo Museum of Art, Yokohama, 25 August - 17 October 1993; Chiba Sogo Museum of Art, Chiba, 10 November - 20 December 1993; Prefectural Museum of Art, Yamaguchi, 5 January - 20 February 1994; Kobe City Museum, Kobe, 25 February - 10 April 1994; Isetan Museum of Art, Tokyo, 14 April - 24 May 1994
European Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Ireland, National Gallery, Canberra, 25 June - 3 October 1994; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Adelaide, 21 October 1994 - 15 January 1995