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Jusepe de Ribera, 'Saint Jerome', 1642

About the work

Ribera depicts Saint Jerome, one of the four fathers of the Western Church, as a man of learning. The watery-eyed, bare-chested saint looks up from his work, his face catching the light. The scroll he holds refers to his monumental achievement: the translation of the Old and New Testaments into Latin. His version, called the Vulgate, was declared the official Latin text of the Bible at the Council of Trent in the mid-1500s.

A splendid example of Ribera’s mature manner, this painting unites marked contrasts between areas of light and dark with a limpid clarity of composition. Dating from the height of his career, Saint Jerome showcases Ribera’s confident, free brushwork, which, along with his use of thick impasto, give the saint’s aged and weathered skin an impressive verisimilitude. Ribera lived much of his life in Naples, but often, as in this painting, insisted on his Spanish origins in his signature.

Key facts

Full title
Saint Jerome
Artist
Jusepe de Ribera
Artist dates
1591 - 1652
Date made
1642
Medium and support
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
128.5 × 99 cm
Inscription summary
Signed; Dated
Acquisition credit
On loan from a private collection
Inventory number
L1343
Location
Room 30
Image copyright
On loan from a private collection, © Private collection
Collection
Main Collection

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

More works by Jusepe de Ribera

An Apostle
An Apostle
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This painting probably belonged to a series of Apostles and represents either Saint Thomas or Saint Matthias, both of whose attribute is a spear. Ribera painted several such series throughout his career – the most complete, dating from around 1630, is in the Museo del Prado, Madrid. Apostle serie...
Not on display
Jacob with the Flock of Laban
Jacob with the Flock of Laban
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Jacob sits next to a stream, holding his shepherd’s staff, surrounded by his flock. Resting beneath a tree, he looks up towards heaven as if seeking guidance or strength: according to the Old Testament story, Jacob agreed to tend Laban’s flock for seven years so that he could marry his daughter R...
Not on display
The Lamentation over the Dead Christ
The Lamentation over the Dead Christ
Jusepe de Ribera
Ribera captures the moment when Christ’s lifeless body is laid out after it has been brought down from the Cross. A solemn Saint John the Evangelist, dressed in red and green, gently supports Christ’s elegant corpse. Christ’s pallor is striking – his lips and skin are turning grey-blue – and his...
Room 30