An artwork on Galleree from Minneapolis Institute of Art.
About the artwork
Portrait of a Cardinal, possibly Gabriele de' Gabrielli (1445–1511)c. 1505–11
Artist: attributed to Lorenzo Costa
Italian (Emilia), 1460–1535
70.17ter the old frame for this piece is on P65B MS; Italian wood tabernacle cassetta frame, ca. 1600 (reframed 1992), H.46-1/4 x W.44 in.
32 1/4 × 30 in. (81.9 × 76.2 cm) (panel)
41 3/4 × 40 3/4 × 3 1/2 in. (106 × 103.5 × 8.9 cm) (outer frame)
Oil and tempera on poplar panel
Painting
Italy
16th century
The John R. Van Derlip Fund and the William Hood Dunwoody Fund
Amidst the sun-dappled light filtering through an open window, a quietly striking portrait captures our eye. Here sits an unknown figure draped in a rich crimson cassock and topped with a matching cap, both symbols of high rank. This man is not a monarch nor a conqueror, but rather a humanist scholar embodying the spirit of intellectual pursuit—an aspiration beautifully illustrated in the canvas before us.
Beyond him, timeless and contemplative, we see the revered figure of Saint Jerome, the renowned 4th-century biblical scholar. He kneels in reverence, framed against the backdrop of the past, dressed in his own cardinal's hat, as the iconic lion—his loyal companion—rests gently at his feet. Their presence juxtaposes the mundane with the extraordinary, reminding us of the weight of wisdom that has been passed down through the ages.
During the Renaissance, when the thirst for knowledge flourished, Saint Jerome emerged as a paragon of erudition, envisioned not merely as an ascetic hermit but as an embodiment of cultured learning. In this portrait, the unknown sitter yearns to evoke that very spirit. It is as if he leans toward the viewer, inviting us to share in his intellectual dreams, to reflect on the knowledge that awaits just beyond the window.
In this moment, as light mingles with shadows, the canvas reveals a tale of ambition and reverence—an ode to over centuries of learning, a testament to the power of knowledge that thrives and inspires even today.
About the artist
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