Penitent Saint Jerome – Hampton Court – London
Dating back to about 1490, the work depicts Saint Jerome kneeling in the foreground, while he’s slightly turned to the right with the expressive gaze pointing languidly upwards, probably in the direction of a crucifix now lost: the canvas was in fact cut, and parts of the painting were dispersed.
The saint is dressed in a sleveless tunic, closed at the waist with a belt, wbut open on the bare chest stained with blood: in his right hand he holds the stone he uses to hit his chest as a sign of penance, while the palm of the left hand is facing upwards, plausibly towards the point where the crucifix was originally located. Saint Jerome’s iconographic attributes are behind him: the cardinal’s red hat is resting on the ground, while the lion peeps out from the shadow of the wall.
The scene takes place in a rocky environment that almost completely fills the space; on the right only a small part of the sky is visible.
Purchased by Queen Victoria in 1845 for the birthday of her son, Prince Albert, this painting by Perugino is currently preserved at the Royal Collections of Hampton Court in London.
