St. Jerome in His Study
1474
Step through this massive stone archway into a perfectly ordered Renaissance study, where St. Jerome sits peacefully reading amidst a labyrinth of shelves and soaring Gothic vaults. Antonello da Messina, an Italian master who absorbed Northern European oil painting techniques, created this 1474 masterpiece to show off his mind-bending, mathematically precise perspective. Look closely at the floor tiles and the tiny animals—a peacock, a partridge, a cat, and a dog—each hiding deep symbolic meanings about life, death, and salvation. It’s like a 15th-century puzzle box that rewards you with new secrets every time you look at it!
- Technique
- Oil on panel
Location: National Gallery, London
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