The Penitent Saint Jerome in his Study

The painter was inspired by Caravaggio, whose radical art took Nature as its measure. His followers amplified this, often focusing on the imperfect or banal, and exploited his dramatic use of light and shadow. Here, the saint’s homely study has been transformed into an extraordinary still life of the most varied objects, flooded by tranquil light that brings the scene to life. Lost in intense contemplation, Jerome turns away from the material world. Frame: running moulding, gilded. Italy (Rome), c. 1700