Neapolitan School (second quarter of the 17th century)
Saint Jerome
oil on canvas; inv. P 693
provenance: unknown
The hermit leans over his books in humility and prayer. The balanced decorum of the work distinguishes it from the scanty and disordered saints of Josepe de Ribera, known as “Lo Spagnoletto” (1591-1652) and his school, to whom this painting was attributed in the past.
In contrast with better-known examples of the Neapolitan school, this work demonstrates a naturalism strongly tempered by classical sensibility, which, however, wasn’t completely lacking in 17th century Neapolitan culture.
