Follower of Prospero Fontana, Saint Jerome, 1590, Oil on Board

Details

Description

Saint Jerome
16th-century Bolognese School
Entourage of Prospero Fontana (Bologna 1512 - 1597)

Technique: Oil on poplar panel, paneled on … Read more Saint Jerome
16th-century Bolognese School
Entourage of Prospero Fontana (Bologna 1512 - 1597)

Technique: Oil on poplar panel, paneled on the back
Dimensions: panel 41 x 29 cm, frame 53 x 42 cm
This splendid panel, painted in the final decades of the 16th century, depicts Saint Jerome, a monk who lived between the 4th and 5th centuries, presented according to the iconography of a hermit in retreat in the desert, about to strike his chest with a stone as a sign of penance.

The painting, of Emilian origin, undoubtedly owes its origins to models created by Prospero Fontana (1512-1597), a skilled painter of Bolognese Mannerism who, after an apprenticeship with Perin del Vaga, opened a school in Bologna that played a significant role in the maturation of Emilian painting in the second half of the 16th century. The quality of the execution and the character of the sitter suggest that the panel should be included in the highly complex catalogue of works produced by the workshop.

The elderly saint is depicted half-naked, his slender body exuding prominent muscles. He kneels, striking his chest with a stone and gazing at Christ on the processional crucifix, which he supports with his left arm, resting his elbow on a sort of altar carved into the rock. On the altar also rests an open book, his canonical iconographic attribute, a reference to his prolific work as a biblical scholar and theologian, which made him a forerunner of the Renaissance humanist. In the shadows to the hermit's left stands the lion, with a sly expression.

The work displays a blend of pictorial styles that makes it difficult to attribute it to a specific artist: one can discern transitional elements between Flemish-inspired Mannerism and the Italianate flair of the sitter's composure.

The panel, in excellent condition, is accompanied by a legally required photographic certificate of authenticity. Professionally assembled on the back. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



issues arising from misattribution See less