Artwork
Der büßende hl. Hieronymus
Der büßende hl. Hieronymus is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Jacopo Bassano. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1550, this religious work by Jacopo Bassano portrays Saint Jerome in a contemplative pose. The painting is part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, where it is displayed among other works of the Venetian Renaissance.
Subject & Meaning
The figure is an elderly Jerome, kneeling within a rugged cave. He is partially unclothed, draped only in a simple cloth, and holds an open book while a skull rests nearby, symbols of scholarly study and mortality that underscore the saint’s penitential devotion.
Technique & Style
Bassano employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, contrasting the dim interior of the cavern with a shaft of light entering through a narrow opening. The illumination highlights Jerome’s face and the textures of stone, while the storm‑clouded sky beyond the window adds a dramatic, almost theatrical atmosphere.
History & Provenance
The work entered the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings in the 19th century, joining the museum’s extensive assemblage of Northern Italian art. Its attribution to Bassano has been confirmed through stylistic analysis and documentation linking the piece to the artist’s late period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacopo Bassano was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Venetian school. He was born and died in Bassano del Grappa, and took the village as his surname. Having trained in the workshop of his father, Francesco the…
