Penitent Saint Jerome with a Young Monk
Painting by Filippo Lippi
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The Penitent Saint Jerome with a Young Monk (also known as St. Jerome in penance and San Gerolamo in penitenza) is a painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Filippo Lippi[1], dated c. 1439. It is housed in the Lindenau-Museum of Altenburg, Germany. The work could be identified with the Saint Jerome Penitent of which Lippi asked payment in a letter issued to Piero de' Medici in 1439.[2]
| Penitent Saint Jerome with a Young Monk | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Filippo Lippi |
| Year | c. 1439 |
| Medium | Tempera on panel |
| Dimensions | 53 cm × 37 cm (21 in × 15 in) |
| Location |
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The painting is one of the first known examples on the subject of Saint Jerome doing penance. It is a small panel, divided into two different scenes: in the upper part is Saint Jerome with the wooden cross, the stone to strike his breast and the lectern lying on the rock. In the lower part, with a chronological step, is the episode of the saint with the lion having a thorn in the paw. The unfriendly landscape is a metaphor of the hermit style of life.
