Conservation completed in 1988 with Save Venice general funds.

Painted late in Paolo Veronese’s career, when he had become particularly responsive to the naturalism and brushwork of Jacopo Bassano, this image of the penitent Saint Jerome in the wilderness was one of his most celebrated depictions of the nude body. Set in a rich landscape, the work depicts the saint tormenting his flesh: he beats a rock against his chest as he gazes upon a small crucifix, his self-inflicted pain an imitation of that suffered by the body of Christ. Typical of Veronese’s treatment of fabric is the shimmering crimson garment that falls in heavy folds from his waist down to his feet, where his faithful leonine companion lies. Originally created for the church of Sant’Andrea della Zirada in the sestiere of Santa Croce, it is now displayed in the Gallerie dell’Accademia.

The painting was restored by conservator Ferruccio Volpin, with the guidance of project director Annalisa Perissa Torrini of the Superintendency of Fine Arts of Venice.

For select projects, conservation dossiers in Italian containing limited textual and photographic documentation may be available for consultation by appointment at the Venice office of Save Venice and the Rosand Library & Study Center. For inquiries, please contact us at venice@savevenice.org.

Paolo Veronese (1528–1588)
Saint Jerome Penitent
Late 1570s, oil on canvas
253 x 168 cm

Gallerie dell’Accademia: Homepage

Gallerie dell’Accademia: Link to the Work