Italian master; 17th century.

Italian master; XVII century.
"Saint Jerome".
Polychrome terracotta.
It presents flaws in the polychrome.
Measurements: 55 x 24 x 12 cm.
Sculpture carved in wood, attributed to an Italian master of the seventeenth century, represents St. Jerome, one of the most important and revered Fathers of the Church in the Christian tradition. The figure shows the saint in an attitude of contemplation and study, holding an open book, symbol of his work as translator of the Bible into Latin -the famous Vulgate-, one of his most transcendental legacies. At his feet is a lion, a classic iconographic attribute associated with the saint, which alludes to the legend in which Jerome extracted a thorn from the animal's paw, earning its loyalty.
The sculpture reveals a remarkable technical mastery typical of the Italian Baroque school, distinguished by the vivacity of the corporal expression, the anatomical realism and the emotional dramatism. The treatment of the semi-nude body, the twisting of the torso, the tension in the muscles, and the expressiveness of the face refer to a deep anatomical knowledge and a mastery of polychromy, especially visible in the red cape that brings dynamism and visual strength.
The Italian school of the 17th century, heir to the Renaissance and imbued with the language of the Baroque, was able to translate spirituality with great skill into vibrant and human sculptural forms. This type of work not only had a devotional value, but also a pedagogical value, bringing the faithful closer to the models of sanctity through representations charged with emotion, realism and symbolism. St. Jerome, as a figure of knowledge, penitence and erudition, occupied a prominent place in religious art, and his representation in Italian sculpture became a powerful vehicle for transmitting the Christian values of discipline, knowledge and faith.