Spanish school; second half of the XVII century.... Lot n° 36

Spanish school; second half of the XVII century. "Penitent St. Jerome". Oil on canvas. It has slight repainting. Measurements: 39 x 29,5 cm; 59,5 x 41,5 cm (frame). This canvas deals with the theme of St. Jerome penitent in the desert. Thus, the saint is shown seated and placing his left hand on his heart in a pious attitude, which is reinforced by the presence of the crucifix that he holds in his right hand. The scene is completed with the presence of the characteristic attributes of Saint Jerome, such as the book, the skull and the cardinal's hat. During the 17th century the image of the saint became popular, being the protagonist of numerous artistic manifestations. This was due to the Christian tradition that establishes Saint Jerome as the translator of the Bible, thus transforming the sacred scriptures into a Latin text accessible to a wider public. This version of the Bible, known as the Vulgate, was declared the official version during the Council of Trent 1546. One of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church, St. Jerome was born near Aquileia (Italy) in 347. Trained in Rome, he was an accomplished rhetorician and polyglot. Baptized at the age of nineteen, between 375 and 378 he retired to the Syrian desert to lead an anchorite's life. He returned to Rome in 382 and became a collaborator of Pope Damasus. One of the most frequent representations of this saint is his penance in the desert. His attributes are the stone he uses to beat his chest and the skull on which he meditates. Also the cardinal's cape (or a red mantle), although he was never a cardinal, and the tamed lion. The latter comes from a story of the "Golden Legend", where it is narrated that one day, when he was explaining the Bible to the monks of his convent, he saw a lion coming with a limp. He removed the thorn from its paw, and from then on he kept it in his service, instructing it to look after his donkey while it grazed. Some merchants stole the donkey, and the lion recovered it, returning it to the saint without hurting the animal.