St. Jerome
Relief
ca. 1900-1910 (made)
ca. 1900-1910 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The hermit saint and church father St Jerome appears to be leaning on a rock and is looking to the left. Under his hand is a skull, and under this, placed on a rock, is an open book. His left leg is raised and at an extreme angle, and his foot is resting on a rock. Two putti are visible at the upper right, two female figures at the upper left, and the lion at the bottom. The pose of the figure of St Jerome is reminiscent of the antique Barberini Faun.The clumsy style and composition of the present piece indicate however that it is a later fake, made in imitation of 17th-century Netherlandish ivories. Certain aspects of the sinuous figures and lack of perspective even recall art nouveau forms of the late 19th and early 20th century. The exact origin of the present piece is uncertain; it may have been carved in Brussels, Paris, or perhaps Germany.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | St. Jerome (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Carved ivory relief |
| Brief description | Relief, ivory, St Jerome, probably French, Belgian or German, ca. 1900-1910 |
| Physical description | St. Jerome appears to be leaning on a rock and is looking to the left. The upper half of his body is squarely to view, while the lower half has an extreme twist to the right. His right arm is half extended, under his hand is a skull, and under this, lying on a rock, an opened book. His left arm is partly raised, and the hand is tucked into the left side of his jaw. His left leg is raised and at an extreme angle, and his foot is resting on a rock. There are two cupids at the top right of the relief, two female figures at the top left, and the lion, haunches raised high, at the bottom. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Dr Percy Spielman, 76 Cranmer Court, Sloane Avenue, in 1949. |
| Object history | The pose of the figure diastantly recalls that of Argus in the two ivory reliefs of Mercury and Argus by Balthasar Permoser in Braunschweig and Munich, a pose which itself seems to be derived from the antique Barberini Faun. The present St Jerome may conceivably have been inspired by one of the Permoser examples, or the antique precedent. Given by Dr Percy Spielman, 76 Cranmer Court, Sloane Avenue, in 1949. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The hermit saint and church father St Jerome appears to be leaning on a rock and is looking to the left. Under his hand is a skull, and under this, placed on a rock, is an open book. His left leg is raised and at an extreme angle, and his foot is resting on a rock. Two putti are visible at the upper right, two female figures at the upper left, and the lion at the bottom. The pose of the figure of St Jerome is reminiscent of the antique Barberini Faun.The clumsy style and composition of the present piece indicate however that it is a later fake, made in imitation of 17th-century Netherlandish ivories. Certain aspects of the sinuous figures and lack of perspective even recall art nouveau forms of the late 19th and early 20th century. The exact origin of the present piece is uncertain; it may have been carved in Brussels, Paris, or perhaps Germany. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.78-1949 |
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| Record created | January 13, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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