The Vision of Saint Jerome

Download2477 × 3344 px View on a wall Edit

Artist: Giovan Battista Langetti (Italian, 1635–1676)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: Unframed: 200.2 x 149.2 cm (78 13/16 x 58 3/4 in.)
Culture: Italy
Museum: Cleveland Museum of Art
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

Jerome (c. 347–420 CE) studied Greek and Latin literature in Rome, but eventually pursued theology, perceiving his conduct as corrupt and sinful. Around 374 CE, Jerome had a vision of the Last Judgment in which an angel called him to task for his transgressions. Jerome then withdrew from society, learned Hebrew, and studied the Gospels, which led to his influential translations of the Bible. Langetti here follows a convention by depicting Jerome's vision after he retreated from the world. Working in the northern Italian port of Genoa, Langetti absorbed Caravaggio's impact, seen in the composition's naturalistic bodies and dramatic light.