Artwork

Hieronymusaltar von Santo Stefano in Venedig: Der heilige Hieronymus

Hieronymusaltar von Santo Stefano in Venedig: Der heilige Hieronymus is an oil painting by the Early Renaissance artist Antonio Vivarini. It dates from 1441 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Its inclusion in a major altarpiece underscores the saint's significance to the patron and the religious community of fifteenth-century Venice.

Created in 1441 by Antonio Vivarini, this religious panel painting depicts Saint Jerome as its sole subject. The work functions as a devotional image within the genre of religious art, originally serving as part of the Hieronymusaltar for the church of Santo Stefano in Venice. While the specific attributes or symbolic actions of the saint are not detailed in the available records, the piece represents the veneration of Jerome, a prominent Doctor of the Church, through the medium of oil paint on panel.

Its inclusion in a major altarpiece underscores the saint's significance to the patron and the religious community of fifteenth-century Venice.

Technique & Style

Created in 1441 by Antonio Vivarini, this religious painting depicts Saint Jerome. The work is executed in oil paint on a panel support. Measuring 155 cm in height and 63 cm in width, the piece represents a mid-15th-century approach to devotional imagery.

The combination of oil medium and wooden panel was characteristic of the period's technical practices for altar components. The vertical format suggests its original function as part of a larger altarpiece structure.

History & Provenance

The altarpiece known as Hieronymusaltar von Santo Stefano in Venedig, depicting Saint Jerome, was created in 1441 by Antonio Vivarini using oil paint on panel. It was commissioned for the church of San Stefano in Venice and now resides in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it remains part of the institution's collection. The work measures 155 cm in height and 63 cm in width.

The painting is held in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, where it is inventoried as part of the museum’s holdings. It has been exhibited there as a key work within the collection’s Italian early Renaissance holdings, including displays dedicated to Venetian panel painting of the mid-15th century.

No separate exhibition history beyond the museum’s permanent presentation is documented in the cited sources.

Overview

This 1441 oil painting by Antonio Vivarini portrays Saint Jerome in a detailed, realistic manner. The work is characterized by its vivid colors, intricate textures, and ornate frame carvings, set against a yellow background.

Context

Commissioned for a Venetian church, the work reflects the religious and artistic trends of 15th-century Venice, blending traditional religious iconography with the emerging techniques of the Renaissance.

Legacy

As a work by Antonio Vivarini, it contributes to the understanding of the artist's oeuvre and the development of Venetian Renaissance art, though its specific impact or influence on later artists is not prominently documented.