Saint Jerome
by RIBERA, Jusepe de, Oil on canvas, 124 x 96 cm
This type of St Jerome appears frequently in Ribera’s early works, and the subject as well as the painting technique indicate that Ribera executed it after settling inNaples in 1616. In the present painting St Jerome, immersed in the translation of the Vulgate, is depicted in a balanced and perfectly proportioned composition. The fall of light masterfully outlines the contours of the figure, the virtuoso brushwork is quick and brilliant.