Saint Jerome

Artist: Cosimo Tura (Italian, c. 1430 - 1495)

Original Dimensions: 39 3/4" x 22 1/2"

Location: National Gallery of Art, London

About Artwork: (Probably about 1470) "Saint Jerome spent two years in the desert, living a life of poverty and self-denial. As a punishment for sinful thoughts, he would – as we see here – beat his body until it bled. He was originally shown looking towards a vision of Christ, arms outstretched on a cross made of beams of light. This fragment is now in the Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan. The painting may have been commissioned as inspiration for a Franciscan confraternity whose members, like Saint Jerome, practised self-flagellation, with the aim of bringing themselves closer to Christ through imitation of his sufferings. Their founder, Saint Francis, is visible in the background kneeling beside a man in a red tunic, probably the panel’s patron. Tura’s underdrawing is visible beneath the paint surface. He used multiple parallel strokes to indicate areas in shadow, applying a dark wash over the top, and – unusual in an underdrawing – used touches of white paint to highlight areas that catch the light." - (National Gallery of Art, London)