The Death of Ananias c.1515-6

A group of apostles led by Peter stands on a central wooden platform, gesturing toward the foreground where Ananias lies collapsed and dying. On the left, figures distribute alms to the poor from a collection of coins, while bystanders on the right react with visible shock and terror. The scene is staged like a theatrical performance, using a clear architectural hierarchy to separate the divine authority of the apostles from the earthly realm.

Commissioned by Pope Leo X for the Sistine Chapel, this work asserts the absolute spiritual and temporal authority of the Papacy through the figure of St. Peter. It illustrates the enforcement of communal law and the power of the 'Word' to enact physical judgment, a theme central to the ecclesiastical politics of the High Renaissance.