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Saint Jerome in the Wilderness thumbnail 2
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This object consists of 2 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Saint Jerome in the Wilderness

Picture
1566 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Francesco Zuccato created this mosaic of St Jerome for a contest organised by the authorities of St Mark's in Venice in 1566. The competition was to establish who was best among the master mosaicists. Francesco and his brother won first and second prizes.

Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.

Object details

Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Picture
  • Frame
TitleSaint Jerome in the Wilderness (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Glass micromosaic with gilded wood frame.
Brief description
Mosaic picture depicting St Jerome in the wilderness, Francesco Zuccato, Venice, 1566
Physical description
Rectangular micromosaic depicting Saint Jerome as an old, white haired, bearded man with a halo dressed in blue and purple robes, kneeling in right profile in a landscape setting. In his right hand he holds a rock and with his left arm he cradles a wooden crucifix. In the foreground is a red hat and by Jerome's right knee is a lion.
Dimensions
  • Mosaic weight: 27kg
  • Mosaic width: 51.8cm
  • Frame height: 82.5cm
  • Frame width: 72.5cm
  • Frame depth: 13.5cm
  • Including frame weight: 27.0kg
Measured 25/01/24 IW
Gallery label
(2024)
St Jerome in the wilderness
1566

Francesco Zuccato created this mosaic in 1566 for a contest organised by the authorities of St Marks, Venice to honour the best among the master mosaicists. Francesco and his brother won first and second prizes. The mosaic was given to Emmanuel-Philibert Duke of Savoy (1528-88) for his art collection, as he expressed the wish to own one of the competition entries.

Venice, Italy; Francesco Zuccato (died 1572-77) after a cartoon by Titian (1488-1576)
Glass mosaic with gilded wood frame
Formerly in the paintings collection of Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642)
Museum no. Loan:Gilbert.962:1, 2-2008
(2009)
St Jerome in the Wilderness
1566

Francesco Zuccato created this mosaic of St Jerome for a contest organised by the authorities of St Mark's in Venice in 1566. The goal was to establish who was best among the master mosaicists. Francesco and his brother won first and second prizes.

Venice, Italy; Francesco Zuccato (died 1572-7)
Glass mosaic with gilded wood frame
Museum no. Loan: Gilbert 962:1,2-2008
Credit line
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Object history
Provenance: Phillibert Emmanuel, Duke of Savoy, sale, Christie's, London, lot 54, 05/07/1994.

Historical significance: Some of the history of this mosaic is described in a historical novel by the French writer George Sand (1804-1876) entitled 'The Master Mosaicists'. However, she records that Valerio Zuccato, Francesco's brother, won the first prize, although documentary evidence has shown that she was wrong.
Historical context
St Jerome is portrayed in one of his traditional poses as the Penitent. He is shown grey haired and beareded, dishevelled and semi-naked, kneeling with a rock held in his hand for beating his breast, before a crucifix in the desert with a skull nearby. He is accompanied by his customary attributes, a cardinal's hat and a lion.

Jerome was an intelligent and volatile youth who travelled on a spiritually inspiring pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He later spent four years among scorpions and wild beasts styding Hebrew in the Syrian desert.
Summary
Francesco Zuccato created this mosaic of St Jerome for a contest organised by the authorities of St Mark's in Venice in 1566. The competition was to establish who was best among the master mosaicists. Francesco and his brother won first and second prizes.

Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Bibliographic references
  • Christie's Review of the Season 1994. London: Christie's, p. 121.
  • Sand, George. The Master Mosaistes. Introduction and notes by Henri Lavagne. Paris: Chene, 1993, f.n. 148.
  • Lavagne, Henri. Sand et les Mosaiques de Saint Marc. Les Amis de George Sand, 1996, p. 9 and cover illustration.
  • Schroder, Timothy, ed. The Gilbert Collection at the V&A. London (V&A Publishing) 2009, p. 74, pl. 56. ISBN9781851775934
Other numbers
  • MM 293 - Arthur Gilbert Number
  • MM 19 - Arthur Gilbert Number
Collection
Accession number
LOAN:GILBERT.962:1, 2-2008

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Record createdJune 26, 2008
Record URL
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