St Jerome
by RENI, Guido, Oil on canvas, 65 x 50 cm
This painting is an early work by Reni, executed during the painter’s sojourn in Rome. St Jerome is depicted here as a penitent hermit, beating his breast with a stone to harden his spirit against temptations of the flesh. The representation is based on the four years the scholar spent in the wilderness after converting to the Christian faith.