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 hiRibera 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.s 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.
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