Penitent Saint Jerome, Oil on Canvas, Framed

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Oil on canvas. The large canvas is almost entirely occupied by the figure of the saint who, seated on a … Read more Oil on canvas. The large canvas is almost entirely occupied by the figure of the saint who, seated on a rock in a barely visible, bare outdoor setting, is intent on meditation. The saint is accompanied by his traditional iconographic symbols: the book, or rather, according to tradition, the Vulgate, of considerable size to underline its importance; the lion, an animal from which the saint removed a thorn from its paw in the desert, making it docile and faithful, and which has become a symbol of tamed passions. The saint holds a stone in his right hand with which he beats his chest, as a sign of penance, and is partially wrapped in a red and white robe, the cardinal's robe, which, however, falls from his shoulders, a sign of his abandonment of office. The pictorial style is close to the methods of Johann Carl Loth (1638-1698), a German painter active mainly in Italy, who depicted the saint several times, always with great attention to the sacred book and who had contact with Caravaggio and his painting. The figure presented here emerges with great power from the dark and barely visible background, with great emphasis on the man's muscles and his features, created with powerful effects of light and shadow and with the prevalent use of the color red, in the clothing but also in the shades of the flesh and in the animal's fur, to evoke the passion and inner strength of the saint. The painting, already subjected to restoration and relining in the past, is presented in an antique regilded frame. 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



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