Saint Jerome in His Cell 

Quentin Matsys painted Saint Jerome in his Cell in the early 16th century, using oil paint on wood. Look closely, and you will see how the materiality of oil paint allows for incredible realism, particularly in rendering textures. Consider Jerome's beard, painted with great detail. The texture of the wood grain is visible in the background and shelving. Observe also the way the skull shines. This reflects not only Matsys's mastery, but also the rising status of the painter in the early 1500s. At this time, artists were experimenting with oil paint, and were newly concerned with the manipulation of materials to convey not just surface appearances, but the inner character of their subjects. Matsys was among the first generation of artists to make this leap. Before this, painters were seen more as craftspeople than intellectuals. The intense labor and skill involved in this painting speaks to the artist's emerging role, and the changing status of art production in the early modern period.