Stories of St. Jerome 1577

Alessandro Allori painted this fresco of the Stories of Saint Jerome as part of a larger ceiling decoration in Santa Maria Novella in Florence. The eye is drawn to the compact, pyramidal grouping of figures in the central panel. Note how Allori employs a muted palette, dominated by ochre and soft reds, creating a contemplative mood. The composition’s strength comes from its geometric clarity. Each scene is framed by bold, gilded borders, creating a sense of enclosure. These frames, however, also serve to isolate each narrative episode, encouraging us to consider them as distinct, self-contained units. The structural arrangement of the ceiling pushes us to consider the relationship between the individual stories and the larger decorative scheme. By using geometric forms, Allori seems to invite us to analyze its underlying organizational principles, revealing how the artwork encourages interpretations that extend beyond the individual scenes.