Stories of St. Jerome 1577

Alessandro Allori painted "Stories of St. Jerome" as a fresco in Santa Maria Novella in Florence. It captivates with its soft colours and forms, set within a decorative frame. The composition is structured around three primary female figures, each distinguished by their attire, posture, and symbolic accoutrements. The painting's structure invites exploration of symbolic visual cues. One figure holds a cross and a chalice. Another supports two children, and the third adopts a pose of supplication. These elements are not merely aesthetic but function as semiotic markers, indicative of the narratives associated with St. Jerome and the virtues or challenges inherent in the life of faith. The fresco, with its delicate colours and human forms, also hints at a move away from more rigid, hierarchical modes of representation toward a more humane approach. The composition and interplay of figures serves not only to recount stories but also to invite contemplation on themes of compassion and spiritual devotion.