Paolo Uccello was one of the giants of the Italian Renaissance, celebrated most of all for his frescoes and the three grand paintings comprising The Battle of San Romano. Independent paintings by him are of the greatest rarity, numbering only 24; of these only 2 are privately owned, including the present work.

Surviving in its original dimensions, this private devotional panel is a precious discovery and an important addition to the artist’s oeuvre. The penitent Saint Jerome is here depicted kneeling before an altar in the act of beating his chest. Opposite the craggy cave that serves as the saint’s dwelling, the painting opens onto a view of a mountainous landscape with small boats sailing along a winding river and fortified villages perched on and around green hilltops. The beginnings of the sophisticated perspectival experimentation of Uccello’s later works are already suggested here by the imperfectly receding lines of the altar and the depth of the landscape, communicated by the course of the river. 

Uccello’s authorship of this painting has been confirmed by Dr. Mauro Minardi, who dates the panel to an early moment in the artist’s career around the year 1430.

More Information