Vatican Museums

The work depicts Saint Jerome, theologian, biblical scholar and translator who, between 382 and 386, translated the Gospels from Greek to Latin and, between 390 and 405, the Old Testament from Hebrew.
The painting, among the most enigmatic of the works of the great Renaissance genius, offers an original depiction of the hermit saint and Doctor of the Church, in line with the iconographic traditions of the Tuscan 15^th century, and offers valuable information on the artist’s creative process.
Although its provenance is not certain, its attribution to Leonardo has never been questioned. Indeed, the work, still in a draft state and with different degrees of completion in the various parts, reveals a very high quality of drawing and an extraordinary mastery of painting technique, particularly in the use of overlapping glazes in the areas of chiaroscuro. Due to the obvious similarities with the Adoration of the Magi (Florence, Uffizi Gallery), it is believed to have been executed between 1481 and 1482.
The Saint Jerome was found by chance by Cardinal Joseph Fesch, Napoleon’s uncle, who, according to tradition, found it divided into two parts. The panel was in fact cut into five pieces. On the cardinal’s death, the painting was auctioned and sold several times, until 1856, when it was acquired by Pius IX (1846-1878) for the Vatican Pinacoteca.