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Leonardo Da Vinci's St. Jerome
The artist, theorist, scientist, inventor, and teacher Leonardo Da Vinci, famed as a genius of the Renaissance, died in France on May 2, 1519. I honor of the five hundredth anniversary of his death, this exhibition presents his unfinished painting Saint Jerome Praying in the Wilderness, a special loan from the Vatican Museums.
Leonardo began the monumental exquisitely rendered painting at midcareer. He had recently arrived in Milan from his native Florence, where he had earned a reputation for working slowly and had disappointed several patrons by failing to complete projects. In Milan he would create some of his most well known paintings, including the Last Super. After working on Saint Jerome for an extended period of time, the artist left the picture in an unfinished state that offers extraordinary insights into his creative process. Scholars over the centuries have hotly debated the attribution of certain paintings by Leonardo, and much hype has accompanied anything connected with his name. This is one of about six paintings whose authorship has never been questioned.
Here, the picture hangs isolated and starkly illuminated within an otherwise darkened space in order to heighten its contemplative mood. The solemn, chapel like settings recalls the way great Italian artists were sometimes commemorated at death: with a display of allusion to their art or a religious work of their creation. |