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Possibly by El Greco, 'Saint Jerome as Cardinal', 1590-1600

About the work

Once mistaken for a portrait of a cardinal, this painting in fact shows Saint Jerome dressed in cardinal’s robes. He was often painted this way as recognition of his high status in the Catholic Church, even though the office did not exist during his lifetime. His major achievement was to translate the Bible into Latin. Here he points to this great work, staring into the distance, his thumb marking his place.

El Greco and his studio painted several versions of this image. This version, which is on a smaller scale than the others and now quite worn, is of inferior quality and may have been made as a reduced copy to show to prospective patrons.

Key facts

Full title
Saint Jerome as Cardinal
Artist
Possibly by El Greco
Artist dates
1541 - 1614
Date made
1590-1600
Medium and support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
59 × 48 cm
Inscription summary
Signed
Acquisition credit
Bought, 1882
Inventory number
NG1122
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Previous owners

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.

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