Who painted Saint Jerome in the Desert Listening to the Angels?

Saint Jerome in the Desert Listening to the Angels was painted by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo in 1732.

Where can I see Saint Jerome in the Desert Listening to the Angels?

Saint Jerome in the Desert Listening to the Angels is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Saint Jerome in the Desert Listening to the Angels?

Saint Jerome in the Desert Listening to the Angels is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

Saint Jerome in the Desert Listening to the Angels

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo , 1732

Saint Jerome in the Desert Listening to the Angels is a chalk drawing by the Baroque artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. It dates from 1732 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1732, this drawing by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo portrays Saint Jerome seated in a barren landscape, his head inclined in prayer while an unseen presence surrounds him. Rendered on laid paper, the work combines pen, brown ink, and a brown wash applied over black chalk, with selective white gouache highlights that bring the figures into relief.

Subject & Meaning

The composition focuses on the hermit saint, traditionally associated with scholarly labor and ascetic devotion. Jerome is shown holding a rosary, his posture suggesting contemplation of divine revelation, while two ethereal angels hover above, reinforcing the theme of heavenly guidance and the saint’s spiritual communion with the celestial realm.

Technique & Style

Tiepolo employed a layered drawing process: initial sketches in black chalk were deepened with pen and brown ink, then unified through a brown wash that models form. The strategic application of thick white gouache accentuates the drapery and the angels’ wings, creating contrast and a sense of three‑dimensionality characteristic of the Rococo’s lightness and elegance.

History & Provenance

The piece belongs to Tiepolo’s extensive output during his Venetian period, when he was active as both painter and printmaker across Italy, Germany, and Spain. Although the drawing’s early ownership records are sparse, it has been documented in several 19th‑century collections of Italian drawings before entering its present museum holdings.

Artist & collection

Artist

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, also known as Giambattista Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an important member of the 18th-century Venetian school.