Saints Christopher, Jerome and Louis of Toulouse
| Saints Christopher, Jerome and Louis of Toulouse | |
|---|---|
San Giovanni Crisostomo, Venice |
Saints Christopher, Jerome and Louis of Toulouse is an oil-on-panel painting by the Italian Renaissance artist
History
The painting dates to Bellini's late career, when he had adopted Giorgione's tonalism. It had been commissioned in 1494 by the Venetian merchant Giorgio Diletti. It is however signed and dated 1513, but it is not known why there were some twenty years between the commissioning and the execution.
Description
The layout is that of the
The latter had been originally identified as St. Augustine based on text on the book (
The saints were perhaps chosen depending from Neoplatonic themes, with St. Louis symbolizing the contemplative and liturgic life, and St. Christopher symbolizing preaching. According to this view, Jerome would thus be the highest point of spiritual life. The arch above him is a symbol of the Catholic church, and has a Greek inscription of the Psalm 14, referring to St. Jerome as the sage mentioned in it. The use of Greek derives from San Crisostomo's role as church of the Greek-speaking Venetians.
Sources
- Olivari, Mariolina (2004). "Giovanni Bellini". Pittori del Rinascimento (in Italian). Florence: Scala.