Saint Jerome in Meditation (Caravaggio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saint Jerome in Meditation |
|
|---|---|
| Italian: San Girolamo in meditazione | |
 |
|
| Artist | Caravaggio |
| Year | c. 1605 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 140.5 cm × 101.5 cm (55.3 in × 40.0 in) |
| Location | Museum of Montserrat, Montserrat |
Saint Jerome in Meditation is a famous painting created around 1605 by the Italian artist Caravaggio. It is kept today at the Museum of Montserrat, which is right next to the Monastery of Santa Maria in Montserrat. This artwork shows Saint Jerome, an important figure from history, deep in thought.
Contents
Who Was Saint Jerome?
Saint Jerome was a very important person in history. He lived a long time ago and was known as a hermit, someone who lives alone for religious reasons. He was also a Father of the Church, which means he was a respected early Christian leader. His most famous work was translating the Bible into Latin. This version is called the Vulgate Bible.
Saint Jerome was a very popular subject for artists during Caravaggio's time. Caravaggio painted him at least eight times, though only three of these paintings still exist today. We don't know if Caravaggio chose to paint Jerome so often or if people who bought his art asked him to. Painting older people like Jerome gave Caravaggio a chance to show off his skill. He was very good at painting aged skin with all its wrinkles.
What Does the Painting Show?
In this painting, Saint Jerome is shown looking at a skull. The skull is a symbol that reminds us that everyone will die one day. It also suggests that worldly things, like money or fame, are not as important as spiritual things. Jerome is deep in thought, perhaps thinking about life and death.
Where Did This Painting Come From?
This painting likely came from the collection of the Giustiniani family. Vincenzo Giustiniani was a rich banker and a big supporter of Caravaggio. His brother, Benedetto, also collected many religious paintings by the artist. Records from 1638 show that the Giustiniani collection included a painting of Saint Jerome that was the same size as this one.
Some art experts, like Caravaggio's biographer Peter Robb, have noticed something interesting. The quiet, thoughtful feeling of this painting is very similar to another one by Caravaggio. That painting is called John the Baptist and it's now in Kansas City, USA. Both paintings were made around the same time.
See also
In Spanish: San Jerónimo en meditación para niños
- List of paintings by Caravaggio
