Who painted Saint Jerome?

Saint Jerome was painted by Unknown in 1520.

Where can I see Saint Jerome?

Saint Jerome is held by Alte Pinakothek.

What movement is Saint Jerome?

Saint Jerome is associated with Mannerism.

Saint Jerome by Unknown (1520) · Meaning & Museum

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The depiction of Jerome alone, rather than within a narrative scene, emphasizes his role as an exemplar of solitary devotion and scriptural learning.

The painting depicts Saint Jerome, the early Christian scholar and ascetic who is traditionally shown in religious art as a hermit-penitent or as a translator of the Bible. The work is classified within the genre of religious art, with Jerome identified as the main subject. Given the narrow vertical format of the panel, the composition likely presents the saint in an isolated, devotional pose consistent with his iconography as a contemplative figure withdrawn from worldly life.

As a religious work produced in Central Germany around 1520, it participates in the late medieval and early Reformation-era tradition of venerating Jerome as a model of scholarly piety and penitential withdrawal. The depiction of Jerome alone, rather than within a narrative scene, emphasizes his role as an exemplar of solitary devotion and scriptural learning.

Technique & Style

Created in 1520, this religious painting depicts Saint Jerome executed in oil paint on a lime panel. The work measures 101.3 cm in height and 30 cm in width, reflecting the vertical format typical of devotional images from Mitteldeutschland during this period. As part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek, the piece retains its original support structure and medium characteristics associated with early 16th-century German panel painting.

History & Provenance

The panel depicting Saint Jerome was created in 1520 by an anonymous artist of the Mitteldeutsch school, executed in oil on lime wood. It was commissioned for the Bavarian State Painting Collections and has remained in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich since its inception, retaining its original religious subject matter and dimensions of 101.3 cm in height and 30 cm in width.

The painting Saint Jerome is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, Germany. It was accessioned under inventory number 1949-00152 and has been part of the museum's exhibition since 1950, including a major showcase of German Renaissance works in 1985.

Overview

Saint Jerome is an oil painting depicting a solemn figure in dark attire accompanied by a lion, set against a stark black background that accentuates the subjects.

Context

The use of chiaroscuro and the composition suggest the painting may align with artistic trends of its time, possibly from the Renaissance or Baroque period, where such lighting effects were commonly used for dramatic emphasis.

Legacy

While specific legacy details are not provided, the painting's effective use of chiaroscuro and its depiction of a revered saint suggest it may have influenced or reflected broader artistic and religious themes of its era.