Italian school; century XVI.

Italian school; 16th century.
"Saint Jerome".
Earthenware.
It has restorations and fractures.
Measurements: 22 x 7 x 8 cm.
In this sculpture made in clay the author presents us with a devotional image starring the figure of Saint Jerome, devoid of his iconographic attributes such as the feather, the lion, the stone or the cardinal's hat. The artist based the image on the body and its identity. The face, bearded and with long hair, shows an elderly man. However, the torso and legs have a muscular, taut finish to the flesh tones. This idealisation of the body is very much reminiscent of Michelangelo's aesthetic precepts, in fact, the work denotes this stylistic influence, not only in the modelling of the body as already mentioned, but also in the movement of the work, which is evident in the posture adopted by the saint with one leg folded and the other supporting his weight, whose posture folds his belly in a naturalistic manner, thus demonstrating the author's knowledge of human anatomy. Another example of the artist's skill can be seen in the folding of the tunic on the cloak, a work that is maintained in the back of the piece, thus demonstrating a careful technical exercise, even in those areas that are not visible to the viewer. In fact, as can be seen in the centre, the base is attached, indicating that the figure is made to be seen from the front.
Saint Jerome was born near Aquileia (Italy) in 347. Trained in Rome, he was an accomplished rhetorician and polyglot. Baptised at the age of nineteen, between 375 and 378 he withdrew to the Syrian desert to lead an anchorite's life. He returned to Rome in 382 and became a collaborator of Pope Damasus. The famous saint is usually depicted inside a cave or in the middle of the desert. In this case he is shown with the sacred scriptures, adopting a meditative gesture, which places the figure within the iconography of the saint's retreat into the desert. The red mantle he wears reflects the tradition that made him a cardinal, and he is depicted writing as an allusion to the saint's translation of the Bible into Latin, which since the Council of Trent has been considered the only official translation.