''Saint Jerome'' or ''Penitent Saint Jerome'' is an oil-on-canvas painting executed c.1640–1650 by the Italian artist

Guercino Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (February 8, 1591 – December 22, 1666),Miller, 1964 better known as (il) Guercino (), was an Italian Baroque painter and draftsman from Cento in the Emilia region, who was active in Rome and Bologna. The vigorous n ...

, now in the

Royal Palace of Naples The Royal Palace of Naples () is a historic building located in Piazza del Plebiscito, in the historic center of Naples, Italy. Although the main entrance is located in this square, there are other accesses to the complex, which also includes th ...

. ''I Farnese. Arte e collezionismo'', Milano, Editrice Electa, 1995, ISBN 88-435-5132-9, pages 314-315

History

Its origins are unknown. Twentieth-century art critics argue it was commissioned by someone featured in the painter's accounts book. The work dates to 1640–1650, a period when patrons from Cento,

Ferrara Ferrara (; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, capital of the province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main ...

and

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

were commissioning works from him for sums between around 50 and 67

scudi The ''scudo'' (pl. ''scudi'') was the name for a number of coins used in various states in the Italian peninsula from 1551 until the 19th century. The name, like that of the French écu and the Spanish and Portuguese escudo, was derived from t ...

. The earliest definite reference to the work dates to 1680, when it was recorded at the

Palazzo del Giardino A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...

as part of the

Farnese collection The Farnese Collection is one of the first collections of artistic items from Greco-Roman antiquity. It includes some of the most influential classical works, including the sculptures that were part of the Farnese Marbles, their collection of st ...

, though it is unknown how it entered that collection. In 1734, before being moved to Naples, the ''Jerome'' was recorded as being at the Ducal Palace in Parma. When

Elisabeth Farnese Elisabeth Farnese (Italian: ''Elisabetta Farnese'', Spanish: ''Isabel de Farnesio''; 25 October 169211 July 1766) was Queen of Spain by marriage to King Philip V. She was the '' de facto'' ruler of Spain from 1714 until 1746, since she managed ...

's son Charles of Bourbon came to the throne of the Two Sicilies, it and the rest of the Farnese collection was moved to Naples. The work was then largely forgotten before being re-evaluated at the end of the 20th century.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allegory of Painting and Sculpture 1640s paintings Farnese Collection Paintings by Guercino

Paintings in the Royal Palace of Naples