Scenes from the life of St. Peter - Saint-Étienne de Beauvais

This window in Saint-Étienne de Beauvais, is dated 1548 and is signed by Nicolas le Prince. It contains three scenes from the life of St Peter, and the conversion of St Paul on the Road to Damascus.

And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. Matthew 4:18-20

Behind the main characters there is a townscape where a river with 16th century ships flows between the urban setting. In the middle distance the three main characters having left the river are moving towards the town.

Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. Acts10:9-12

According to tradition St Peter was crucified upside down in Rome three months after after the fire that destroyed Rome on the 13th of November 64 AD. The Basilica of St Peter is supposed to have been built over his burial place.

The scene in the bottom right of this window depicts Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.