Matthias Stomer (Amersfoort, 1600 – Sicilia, dopo... Lot n° 137

The painter had his early artistic training under master Gerrit van Honthorst, a member of the Utrecht school along with the best-known Dutch painters of the time-Hendrick ter Brugghen, Dirck van Baburen, and Abraham Bloemaert. They distinguished themselves by the skill with which they assimilated the Caravaggesque lesson during their trips to Italy; it is logical to infer that the training they received influenced Stomer's early production. He undertook his journey to Italy in 1630: he went first to Rome, where he remained until 1633; thereafter his presence is documented in Naples until 1637. This period turns out to be particularly prosperous for the artist, who will come very close to the production of Spagnoletto and the expressive vigor of his brushwork. The last decade of his life, however, is spent in Sicily, where he will remain until his death; here his palette becomes warmer, but the luministic contrasts reach their zenith, dazzling the viewer in the large altarpieces he painted for churches throughout the region.The painting we are looking at is the result of a careful study of anatomy, typical of the Flemish tradition, indebted, however, in its chiaroscuro contrasts and compositional cut, to Roman Caravaggism.St. Jerome is depicted according to his most traditional form: elderly and bare-chested, engaged in the act of meditating on the Scriptures. The dark backdrop brings out the saint's bare torso, in tension and facing backward, but the light does not invest the body, but rather caresses it, enhancing its movement.Bibl.:A. Zalapì in, Caravaggish Paintings, 2000, pp. 48-79, 83-88; B. Nicolson, Caravaggism in Europe, Turin 1990, vol. III. Oil on canvas, 108x91 cm.