Artwork
San Jerónimo, Santa Margarita y San Francisco
San Jerónimo, Santa Margarita y San Francisco is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Giacomo Raibolini. It dates from 1518 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Margaret's presence, often associated with purity, reinforces the work's focus on penitence and divine protection.
The composition shows three saintly figures gathered around Saint Jerome: the hermit Jerome holding a crucifix, the Franciscan Francis with a wolf at his feet, and the Virgin Margaret flanked by a lion and a dragon. The lion, traditionally linked to Saint Mark, here serves as a symbol of vigilance, while the dragon alludes to the triumph over evil that Francis is said to have conquered. Margaret's presence, often associated with purity, reinforces the work's focus on penitence and divine protection.
Together the icons convey a narrative of spiritual discipline and the triumph of faith over worldly temptations, reflecting the religious climate of early sixteenth-century Italy.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel support, measuring 156 cm in height and 145 cm in width.
Stylistically, the composition presents a tightly grouped arrangement of the three standing figures, Jerome, Margaret, and Francis, arranged around a central book held by Jerome. The figures are rendered with volumetric modeling, using subtle gradations of light and shadow to articulate drapery and anatomy. The handling emphasizes clarity of contour and a restrained palette dominated by earth tones, with localized accents of red and blue in the saints’ garments.
The background recedes through a muted atmospheric haze, focusing attention on the hieratic grouping and the symbolic attributes: Jerome’s lion, Margaret’s dragon, and Francis’s book.
History & Provenance
The painting known as San Jerónimo, Santa Margarita y San Francisco was created in 1518 by Giacomo Raibolini, also referred to as Giulio Raibolini. Executed in oil on panel, the work depicts religious figures including Jerome, Francis of Assisi, and Margaret the Virgin, alongside a lion, a dragon, and a book. While specific details regarding the original commission or the initial ownership chain are not provided in the available records, the work has been associated with the Museo de la Trinidad before entering the collection of the Museo del Prado. The piece measures 156 cm in height and 145 cm in width.
The painting San Jerónimo, Santa Margarita y San Francisco (1518) by Giacomo Raibolini is housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid; the work is listed in the museum’s collection records, though a specific inventory or accession number is not provided in the available documentation. The piece, executed in oil on panel, measures 156 cm in height and 145 cm in width. No exhibition history is recorded in the sources consulted, indicating that the work has not been part of documented temporary exhibitions or loans during the period covered by the references.
Overview
Giacomo Raibolini, known as Giacomo Francia, completed San Jerónimo, Santa Margarita y San Francisco in 1518. This oil painting portrays three significant Christian figures: Saint Jerome, Saint Margaret the Virgin, and Saint Francis of Assisi. The work reflects the artistic traditions of its time, showcasing Francia's skill in religious narrative. It is presently part of the collection at the Museo del Prado.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Giacomo Raibolini (1484 – 3 January 1557), also called Giacomo Francia or Jacopo Francia, was an Italian painter and engraver of the Renaissance period.
- The Virgin and Child with Young St. John and the Sts. Dominic, Francis of Assisi, Agnes and Mary Magdalene
The Virgin Adored by Saints
Saints Nicholas of Tolentino, Roch, Sebastian, and Bernardino of Siena, with Kneeling Donors
The Vision of Saint Bernard
The Vision of Fray Lauterio
The Virgin and Child Enthroned and St. Homobonus, Francis of Assisi, Catherine of Alexandria and the Donor Bernadino da Feltre (Death 1494)
Saint Anthony of Padua
São Bernardino de Siena e Santo António
Saint Dominic in Soriano
The Vision of the Blessed Sebastián Aparicio
The Vision of Saint Bernard
Mary with Child, St. Francis, St. Catherine and young St. John the Baptist
