Venetian School from the late 16th century Circle of Jacopo Negretti, known as Palma il Giovane (Venice 1544 - 1628) Penitent Saint Jerome Oil on canvas 85 x 64 cm, Framed 97 x 76 cm Full details pertaining to this painting can be viewed directly at the following - LINK - This magnificent painting, which provides us with an intense depiction of the Penitent Saint Jerome, a Doctor of the Church who lived between the 4th and 5th centuries, is a work of considerable quality and pictorial refinement, a testament to the mature Venetian Renaissance, painted in the Venetian area around the end of the 16th century. The multifaceted figure of the Saint, hermit, penitent, cardinal, and fine humanist, who translated the Bible into Latin, was very popular in the 15th and 16th centuries, a supreme example of the harmony between the knowledge of the classical age and Christian virtue. For this reason, it was a subject dear to a refined and cultured audience, not infrequently illustrated in small-sized works intended for private devotion. The elderly Saint is depicted semi-nude, according to the typical iconography that sees him in the guise of a hermit, while, kneeling, he beats his chest with a stone as a sign of penance. We see him with his gaze intent on contemplating the crucifix and the open book, both his canonical iconographic attributes, alluding to his fruitful activity as a biblical scholar and theologian, which made him the forerunner of the Renaissance humanist. Saint Jerome is represented in a mountainous and wild landscape, near the grotto of Bethlehem where he retreated to follow his vocation as a hermit, at the bottom of which opens the view of a city, an emblem of the juxtaposition between nature and civilization. Examining its stylistic characteristics, the composition is undoubtedly indebted to the models created by Jacopo Negretti, known as Palma il Giovane (Venice 1548-1628), who addressed the subject several times with multiple illustrative methods. The luminosity that envelops the scene is of clear Venetian derivation: the composition is crossed by an intense glow that radiates the figure of the Saint, emphasizing its rather sober chromatic range, played on earthy tones. The painting, whose excellent condition offers us an optimal reading, denotes a very precise and quality brushstroke. The examination with a Wood's lamp does not show any significant restorations, but some scattered retouching on the surface. The work is accompanied by a photographic expertise of authenticity in accordance with the law. For further information, please contact us. Also follow us on: https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/