Saint Jerome Reading
Dublin Core
Title
Saint Jerome Reading
Description
Painted by Giovanni Bellini in 1505, and currently located in the National Gallery of Art, this painting depicts Saint Jerome reading in the desert, and is believed to be an affirmation of Bellini's religious devotion. Saint Jerome Reading is featured in a series of several paintings that depict Saint Jerome, all of which portray him in a natural setting and landscape [1].
In the bottom right of the corner, Saint Jerome sits reading a book that represents the Bible, as animals surround him. He is accompanied by a lion, who, according to legend, he helped by taking a thorn out of its paw. In the center of the painting, two bunnies play below the skyline of a city similar to Venice, and various detailed plants and crumbled rock set the scenery. Closer to Jerome, before the skyline, Bellini painted what appears to be an ocean, allowing for both the image of an oasis, as well as the seclusion of Jerome's location. Saint Jerome's solitude in this particular painting both represents the artist's fascination with scenery, but also the sole driven focus that the Saint has with his biblical and religious studies, portraying him as a devoted hermit. Bellini carefully includes various details that are commonly associated with religion and theology, including the fig tree, and ruins around Saint Jerome [2].
Bellini was widely regarded as one of the most influential Venetian artists, and painted for nearly 65 years. His paintings have a variety of interpretations, and are high detailed. Bellini painted few secular pictures, and the majority were highly detailed religious narratives, and emphasized a natural setting. [3] In paintings that placed Jerome in a landscape, as can be seen in Saint Jerome reading – the focus is predominantly on the nature and surroundings of Jerome, while he has a small feature in the corner. In most paintings of the Saint, he is typically completely dedicated to reading his works and furthers Bellini's appreciation for religion. Bellini's focus on religion ties back into Venice's self-awareness of their myth, and how the divinity of the city promotes their unique prestige.
[1] Hendy, Philip. "Giovanni Bellini." Encyclopedia Brittanica, 2020
[2] Belting, Hans. "St. Jerome in Venice: Giovanni Bellini and the Dream of Solitary Life." (Tatti Studies in the Italian Renaissance 17, 2014)
[3] National Gallery of Art "Giovanni Bellini." https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.936.html.
In the bottom right of the corner, Saint Jerome sits reading a book that represents the Bible, as animals surround him. He is accompanied by a lion, who, according to legend, he helped by taking a thorn out of its paw. In the center of the painting, two bunnies play below the skyline of a city similar to Venice, and various detailed plants and crumbled rock set the scenery. Closer to Jerome, before the skyline, Bellini painted what appears to be an ocean, allowing for both the image of an oasis, as well as the seclusion of Jerome's location. Saint Jerome's solitude in this particular painting both represents the artist's fascination with scenery, but also the sole driven focus that the Saint has with his biblical and religious studies, portraying him as a devoted hermit. Bellini carefully includes various details that are commonly associated with religion and theology, including the fig tree, and ruins around Saint Jerome [2].
Bellini was widely regarded as one of the most influential Venetian artists, and painted for nearly 65 years. His paintings have a variety of interpretations, and are high detailed. Bellini painted few secular pictures, and the majority were highly detailed religious narratives, and emphasized a natural setting. [3] In paintings that placed Jerome in a landscape, as can be seen in Saint Jerome reading – the focus is predominantly on the nature and surroundings of Jerome, while he has a small feature in the corner. In most paintings of the Saint, he is typically completely dedicated to reading his works and furthers Bellini's appreciation for religion. Bellini's focus on religion ties back into Venice's self-awareness of their myth, and how the divinity of the city promotes their unique prestige.
[1] Hendy, Philip. "Giovanni Bellini." Encyclopedia Brittanica, 2020
[2] Belting, Hans. "St. Jerome in Venice: Giovanni Bellini and the Dream of Solitary Life." (Tatti Studies in the Italian Renaissance 17, 2014)
[3] National Gallery of Art "Giovanni Bellini." https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.936.html.
Creator
Giovanni Bellini
Source
Hendy, Philip. “Giovanni Bellini.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., January 29, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Giovanni-Bellini-Italian-painter.
Belting, Hans. "St. Jerome in Venice: Giovanni Bellini and the Dream of Solitary Life." I Tatti Studies in the Italian Renaissance 17, no. 1 (2014): 5-33. Accessed September 22, 2020. doi:10.1086/676482.
National Gallery of Art "Giovanni Bellini." Accessed September 22, 2020. https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.936.html.
Belting, Hans. "St. Jerome in Venice: Giovanni Bellini and the Dream of Solitary Life." I Tatti Studies in the Italian Renaissance 17, no. 1 (2014): 5-33. Accessed September 22, 2020. doi:10.1086/676482.
National Gallery of Art "Giovanni Bellini." Accessed September 22, 2020. https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.936.html.
Publisher
Giovanni Bellini (National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.). Gift of Samuel H. Kress Foundation
https://library.artstor.org/asset/ANGA_KRESSIG_10312335544.
https://library.artstor.org/asset/ANGA_KRESSIG_10312335544.
Date
1505
Contributor
Ithika Senthilnathan
Format
Oil on Panel, 47 cm x 37.5 cm
Type
Oil Painting
Coverage
National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C, USA
Citation
Giovanni Bellini
, “Saint Jerome Reading,” ARTHIST 89S - Visual Culture of Venice - Fall 2020, accessed October 22, 2026, https://venice.dahvc.org/fall-2020/items/show/56.