Artist:
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Circle of Paolo Pagani
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Title:
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St. Jerome in the Desert
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Date:
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c. 1700
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Medium:
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Oil on canvas
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Dimensions:
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16 x 11 9/16 in. (40.64 x 29.37 cm) (sight)
22 3/4 x 18 1/8 in. (57.79 x 46.04 cm) (outer frame)
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Credit Line:
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Gift of A. Richard and Martha R. Olson
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Location:
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Gallery 308
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The composition of this St. Jerome by an unknown Italian artist derives ultimately from a famous engraving of 1602 by Agostino Carracci (1557-1602). Although the overall spirit of the work is Bolognese and reminiscent of Ludovico Carracci (1555-1619), the loose handling, especially in the saint's head, indicates a date of execution in the late 17th century or early 18th century.
This scene depicts St. Jerome in a secluded Syrian Desert cave to which he withdrew around 378. During the years he spent in the desert, he studied Hebrew, which he later used when translating the Old and New Testaments into Latin. St. Jerome holds a crucifix in one hand while the other rests on a skull; attributes that served as reminders: the crucifix represents his devotion to Christ while the skull acts as a memento mori, a reminder of death, and the vanity of earthly pursuits.
Artist/Creator(s)
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Name:
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Pagani, Paolo
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Nationality:
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Italian
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Life Dates:
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Italian, 1661 - 1716
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Object Description
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Inscriptions:
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Classification:
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Paintings
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Physical Description:
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male figure kneeling on one knee, with a red drapery across his lap; long brown and white beard and hair; PL hand resting on a skull; PR hand holding a crucifix; faint halo; rather dark image
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Creation Place:
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Europe, Italy, , ,
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Accession #:
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2009.63
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Owner:
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The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
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