Bernardo Strozzi

Anonymous sale ("Property from a European Private Collection"), London, Sotheby's, 6 December 2012, lot 169;

Where acquired by the present collector for £169,250.

C. Manzitti, Bernardo Strozzi, Turin 2013, p. 267, cat. no. E, reproduced;

A. Orlando, "Genio ed estro, Quadri 'da stanza,' nature morte e ritratti di Bernardo Strozzi per la committenza privata," in Bernardo Strozzi (1582-1644): La conquista del colore, exhibition catalogue, A. Orlando and D. Sanguineti (eds.), Genoa 2019, p. 114, reproduced fig. 19.

Unpublished prior to its appearance at auction in 2012, this spirited depiction of Saint Jerome is an important addition to Bernardo Strozzi's œuvre. Datable to around 1640, the painting constitutes one of several depictions of the Saint produced during the final years of the artist's career.¹ The others, which are all of relatively comparable dimensions, hang today at the Galleria dell'Accademia, Venice;² the Pinacoteca Egidio Martini, Ca'Rezzonico, Venice;³ and the Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.⁴ Across all four paintings, Strozzi portrays Saint Jerome with tousled hair, a furrowed brow, and a vigorously painted beard.

Saint Jerome stands before a simple dark background that serves to focus the viewer's attention on his act of devotion. He clasps his hands in prayer beneath the open pages of the Bible, which have been executed masterfully using just a few strokes of paint. His focus, however, does not fall on the book, but instead on the Heavens above; the Saint's tilted head, open mouth, and upward gaze all create the impression that he has been struck by a moment of divine inspiration. Strozzi's rapid technique, as evidenced by the deft brushstrokes used to build up the Saint's beard, further heightens the immediacy of the scene.

¹ Manzitti 2013, p. 267, cat. no. E.

² Inv. no. 424; oil on canvas, 22 by 18 ⅛ in.

³ Inv. no. 48; oil on canvas, 21 ½ by 17 ½ in.

⁴ Inv. no. 6.269; oil on canvas, 27 ½ by 20 ⅛ in.