Saint Jerome penitent
Place where the object is located
Vatican Picture Gallery
Story of the object
The painting was bought in 1845 by Pius IX from the cardinal's heirs for the sum of 2500 francs. Dressed in rags, kneeling, holding in his hand a stone used to beat his chest, while in his left hand he indicates himself in an act of humility. with the left hand pointing to himself in an act of humility.
An object of great value for the study of anatomical sciences, an expression of Renaissance art of extraordinary interest. Renaissance art of extraordinary interest, as well as being an innovative work in the transmission of scientific scientific knowledge because of its ability to establish a modern method of learning anatomy for school students. of anatomy for medical students.
Dry but agile muscles, visible tendons. The bust arched behind the clavicles is of great expressive power, the the plastic gesture of the outstretched arm that seems to investigate the surrounding space surrounding space, the leg stretched forward.
The head, hollowed out and bony, foreshortened in its torsion towards the right, is rendered with great expressiveness. The left arm is bent so as to bring the hand towards the chest in an act of entreaty. The left arm is bent so as to bring the hand towards the chest in an act of entreaty, and the head is inclined so as to fix the gaze on the crucifix.
Leonardo has changed the position of the pupils, which were originally turned upwards, as if in an attempt to talk to the Invisible. search for a conversation with the Invisible.
The nude is deliberately chosen to experiment with anatomical rendering.
The graft between the pectoralis major and the neck is arbitrary. The right clavicle is an unnatural arc of a circle. unnatural. St Jerome, a Roman theologian, was an erudite father of the Church. A figure possessed by an extreme spirituality that forgets about the body. The more Leonardo emphasises the sinews and bones with his artistic touch, the more The more Leonardo emphasises tendons and bones with his artist's touch, the more he stages anatomy, the greater Jerome's spiritual tension grows. And through flesh and muscle Leonardo manages to reveal the mystery of the inner life. Fragile but inflexible. Leonardo renders the layers, the fractures. The figure emerges with power. At the bottom, the lion with the snappy body creates linear plays rare in Leonardo. The landscape behind is essential. All that counts is the confrontation with his own interiority, the dialogue dialogue with the Divine of a man stripped bare, in a world without God. The work was painted with a paintbrush, but in many parts of the composition the colour is applied directly by the artist. the artist applied the colour directly with his fingers to soften the contours of the figures. Mentioned as attributed to Leonardo da Vinci in the 19th century in the will of the Swiss painter Angelica Kauffmann. Swiss painter Angelica Kauffmann.
Pietro D'Achiardi, an art historian, says that the painting was bought by Napoleon Bonaparte's uncle, Cardinal Joseph Bonaparte's uncle, Cardinal Joseph Fesh, in the workshop of a Roman junk dealer. It was found divided into two parts: the lower part was used by the junk dealer as the lid of a chest, while the upper part with the saint's head was found at a shoemaker's who had made the top of a stool out of it.
In reality, the panel was cut into five pieces.
When the cardinal died, the work was put up for auction and sold several times.
Finally Pope Pius IX bought it for the Vatican Picture Gallery. It is now exhibited in room IX of the Pinacoteca, next to Raphael's great hall.
An object of great value for the study of anatomical sciences, an expression of Renaissance art of extraordinary interest. Renaissance art of extraordinary interest, as well as being an innovative work in the transmission of scientific scientific knowledge because of its ability to establish a modern method of learning anatomy for school students. of anatomy for medical students.
Dry but agile muscles, visible tendons. The bust arched behind the clavicles is of great expressive power, the the plastic gesture of the outstretched arm that seems to investigate the surrounding space surrounding space, the leg stretched forward.
The head, hollowed out and bony, foreshortened in its torsion towards the right, is rendered with great expressiveness. The left arm is bent so as to bring the hand towards the chest in an act of entreaty. The left arm is bent so as to bring the hand towards the chest in an act of entreaty, and the head is inclined so as to fix the gaze on the crucifix.
Leonardo has changed the position of the pupils, which were originally turned upwards, as if in an attempt to talk to the Invisible. search for a conversation with the Invisible.
The nude is deliberately chosen to experiment with anatomical rendering.
The graft between the pectoralis major and the neck is arbitrary. The right clavicle is an unnatural arc of a circle. unnatural. St Jerome, a Roman theologian, was an erudite father of the Church. A figure possessed by an extreme spirituality that forgets about the body. The more Leonardo emphasises the sinews and bones with his artistic touch, the more The more Leonardo emphasises tendons and bones with his artist's touch, the more he stages anatomy, the greater Jerome's spiritual tension grows. And through flesh and muscle Leonardo manages to reveal the mystery of the inner life. Fragile but inflexible. Leonardo renders the layers, the fractures. The figure emerges with power. At the bottom, the lion with the snappy body creates linear plays rare in Leonardo. The landscape behind is essential. All that counts is the confrontation with his own interiority, the dialogue dialogue with the Divine of a man stripped bare, in a world without God. The work was painted with a paintbrush, but in many parts of the composition the colour is applied directly by the artist. the artist applied the colour directly with his fingers to soften the contours of the figures. Mentioned as attributed to Leonardo da Vinci in the 19th century in the will of the Swiss painter Angelica Kauffmann. Swiss painter Angelica Kauffmann.
Pietro D'Achiardi, an art historian, says that the painting was bought by Napoleon Bonaparte's uncle, Cardinal Joseph Bonaparte's uncle, Cardinal Joseph Fesh, in the workshop of a Roman junk dealer. It was found divided into two parts: the lower part was used by the junk dealer as the lid of a chest, while the upper part with the saint's head was found at a shoemaker's who had made the top of a stool out of it.
In reality, the panel was cut into five pieces.
When the cardinal died, the work was put up for auction and sold several times.
Finally Pope Pius IX bought it for the Vatican Picture Gallery. It is now exhibited in room IX of the Pinacoteca, next to Raphael's great hall.
Unit of the Educational Material connected (4 - 1)
Label
Leonardo da Vinci
Oil painting on panel
Year 1480
Painting not completed.
Dimensions: 1,03m x 75 cm.
Oil paint, tempera painting
Late Florentine Renaissance.
Oil painting on panel
Year 1480
Painting not completed.
Dimensions: 1,03m x 75 cm.
Oil paint, tempera painting
Late Florentine Renaissance.
