Saint Jerome in a Landscape
1530
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1530
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A bearded man in a red robe sits on a rock, reading a book. Behind him, rolling hills stretch into the distance, dotted with tiny houses and trees. The sky is bright, almost glowing. This isn’t just a portrait of Saint Jerome—it’s one of the earliest drawings where the landscape steals the show. Campagnola made nature feel alive, not just a backdrop. The lines are light and quick, like he sketched it in one sitting. If you like how the land feels as important as the saint, look up *sfumato*—a technique that softens edges to blend figures into their surroundings.
