St Jerome 1500 - 1520

Bernardino da Brescia’s St Jerome is an oil painting, likely made with pigments ground and mixed by hand, applied to a wooden panel. Oil paint lent itself to rendering the textures of the Saint's skin, the coarse pages of his book, and the rocky landscape behind him. But beyond simple description, the handling of this viscous material tells a story of labor. The smooth blending suggests a patron who could afford Bernardino's time, and by extension, the cost of high-quality pigments. The choice of a panel, rather than canvas, also speaks to a workshop tradition, where woodworking skills were as valued as those of painting. The overall effect is one of studied contemplation, made possible by a network of skilled production and economic investment. Looking closely at the material qualities of the painting invites us to consider the social conditions that made its creation possible.