Italian school; XVII century "St Geronimo". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 116 x 86 cm.

About Auction

Live

OLD MASTERS - Day 1

By Setdart Auction House

May 31, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-05-31 08:30:00 2021-05-31 08:30:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : OLD MASTERS - Day 1 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/setdart-auction-house/old-masters---day-1-6998
Setdart Auction House sofia@setdart.com

View Full Catalog (106)

• Lot Description
  Italian school; XVII century "St Geronimo". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 116 x 86 cm. Measures: 64 x 84 cm; 93 x 111 cm (frame). The present canvas presents a typical iconography of the 17th century, showing Saint Jerome. He achieved great popularity during the Counter-Reformation, due to his repentance and contemplative life, values useful to move the faithful. In this composition the saint is inscribed in a dark interior, barely dressed in a red cloak, with his head bent down contemplating a skull, which he holds in his hands. In front of him can be seen a table on which are arranged a pen and several bundles of papers. Due to the sobriety of the work, which centralizes its composition in the presence of the Saint, the colors, the light and dark and also the detail of the skull in his hands, it is worth mentioning that this piece has a great similarity with some of the works by José de Ribera. An example of this is the one that belongs to the Thyssen Bornemisza collection, made in 1634, or the one in the Prado Museum in Madrid, where the figure of St. Jerome is younger, as in this particular case. Saint Jerome is one of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church, born near Aquileia (Italy) in 347. Trained in Rome, he was an accomplished rhetorician, as well as a polyglot. Baptized at the age of nineteen, between 375 and 378 he retired to the Syrian desert to lead an anchorite's life. He returned to Rome in 382 and became a collaborator of Pope Damasus. In the second half of the 16th century a new iconography emerged in which the saint listens to the trumpet of the Apocalypse, an iconography widely used by the Counter-Reformation Church. The famous saint is usually depicted inside a cave or in the middle of the desert, and is usually, although not always, accompanied by his characteristic attributes: the stone, symbolizing the rigor of penance, with which he beats his chest; the skull, symbolizing death, and the red mantle that reflects the tradition that made him a cardinal. The accumulation of books and parchments next to the saint alludes to the saint's translation of the Bible into Latin, which was considered the only official translation since the Council of Trent. Finally, the theme of St. Jerome hearing the trumpet of the Last Judgment will become fashionable in Counter-Reformation Europe, and will gradually impose itself, displacing the previous interpretations of the saint as a sage or as a penitent.
• Shipping Info

  • In-house shipping available. Please inquire at admin@setdart.com.

• Buyer's Premium
  • 22.00 %