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Italian before 1460
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Attributed to the Master of San Jacopo a Mucciana (Italian, active late 14th century)
St. Jerome, about 1395-1400
Tempera on panel with gold leaf. 35 1/8 x 20 1/8 inches (89.2 x 51.1 cm)
Gift of Samuel H. Kress Foundation, 60.17.16
The theme of St. Jerome in his book-lined study did not appear in art until the second half of the fourteenth century, corresponding with the rise of humanist scholarship. Jerome, who in the fourth century translated the Bible from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek into the more widely read Latin language, came to be regarded as a forerunner of Petrarch and other Renaissance humanists. The artist has added an unprecedented element to this theme by depicting the saint gazing intently at a crucifix, his hands folded in prayer. This portrayal suggests that Jerome's translation of the Bible did not derive merely from his great learning, but was also inspired by his intense, prayerful meditation on Christ's sacrifice.
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