Introduction
Previously known as the Pasadena Art Institution and Museum, The Norton Simon Museum displays different collections that include tapestries, European paintings, woodblock prints, Asian sculptures, and other paints from different regions. The museum has a collection of about twelve thousand objects for showcasing. This paper will focus mainly on Saint Jerome in Penitence painting, as one of the most important paintings in the Norton Simon Museum. The artist of art was mainly Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828), particularly from Spain. The art can be dated back to 1798. The medium used in this art is mainly oil on canvas.
Representation and Meaning
St. Jerome is considered to be one of the earliest Christian scholars and played a major role in the first translation of the Bible to Latin. For four years, St. Jerome lived his life as an ascetic, particularly in the desert, where he studied and prayed with the aim of freeing himself from worldly desire. This artwork represents Jerome’s contemplation of the crucifix in consideration of the harsh retreat of the wilderness. Besides, this piece of art may have originally formed part of a series of four fathers of the church. The painting intimately depicts St. Jerome as a fervent anchorite.
The painting shows Saint Jerome’s books and writing materials. The primary means of these books and these writing materials is mainly to represent one of the most important roles of Saint Jerome, bible translation to Latin. A symbol of death has also been used by Goya. The painting shows the courage used by Saint Jerome, particularly for his repentant self-reproof and a skull, which symbolizes death. Generally, these played an important role for Saint Jerome as they served as his help in consideration to spiritual contemplation.
This leaf of art depicts mainly a story in consideration of Saint Jerome’s life (about 341 to 420). The style used by Goya in this painting can easily be distinguished in the attention, particularly to details related to the brushstrokes and, most importantly, in the patterns that Goya used. Gaya’s painting shows Saint Jerome wearing the habit of a penitent. The painting also shows whipping in Saint Jerome’s chests, particularly in front of the crucifix. Generally, the means of this can be related to the passion of Christ. As mentioned before, Saint Jerome is commonly known for bible translation and a version commonly referred to as the Vulgate. Before taking this work, Saint Jerome spent most of his time, particularly in the desert of Chalcis. Today, the desert is known as Qinnasrin and is located in Syria. As a result, Goya used this paint to depict Saint Jerome in this desert.
On his hand is a stone. Typically, the stone was used by Saint Jerome for beating his breast in penitence. The stone is also considered precious and is described in the bible as stones that were carried mainly by the river Pishon. Generally, River Pishon is one of the four main and important rivers that are described in the book of Genesis. Besides, Saint Jerome has a red cardinal’s robe and a cloak around him. The main meaning and representation of this are related to Saint Jerome’s role as a father of the church and, most importantly, as a patriarch.
Cultural Context
As a popular painting, particularly in the Renaissance, the painting played an important role in inflicting renewed interests related to secular and religious learning for the viewers of its time. Culturally, the painting represented the sacrifices viewers need to understand and take in fulfilling these duties as Christians and particularly towards the church. Based on Renaissance humanists, this painting shows Jerome as a man of erudition and, most importantly, wide learning, particularly by overlooking the combative ways he used and employed the knowledge related to orthodoxy. Saint Jerome’s role in bible translation played a major role in influencing the development of Christian thoughts, particularly in the west. For people, the painting means that spiritual conversation can only be achieved by dedicating one’s life to religion and Jesus. To some extent, the cultural context of the painting can be related to a compromise mainly by purification of the literature related to the pagan world. Through the painting, people could use it to further their Christian faith.
Portrayed Subject and Emotional Content
The subject portrayed by Goya in this art is mainly Christian’s role through sacrifices and service to the church with a primary aim of achieving spiritual conversion. Saint Jerome, as the portrayed subject in this painting, has been portrayed by Goya in a dual role related to the penitent hermit, particularly in the wilderness and most importantly as a humanist, intent on reading. The painting shows Saint Jerome in the wild, a desert far from the city. The primary aim of Goya, in this case, is to signify the existing contrast between civilization and nature. The subject is therefore portrayed to show sacrifices and decisions that Christians need to make to ensure effectiveness in gaining spiritual conversion. Jerome gave up on worldly things ad pleasure, most of which can be experienced and achieved in modern civilized societies.
The emotional content of this painting is mainly focused on leveraging and eliciting strong motions to achieve specific and desired Christianity-related actions. Goya used this painting with the primary aim of expressing specific ideas and feelings that are mainly related to Christianity. As a result, the painting clarifies most of these feelings and ideas, which play a major role in releasing tensions. For example, sacrifices, actions, and some of the things around Saint Jerome signify some important Christian meanings that help to influence the emotional context. This art has been precedent mainly by a perturbation and, most importantly, the excitement of vague cause related to Jerome’s ideas that Goya is uncertain and therefore anxious. As a result, Gaya releases these tensions through the painting by expressing his views and, most importantly, ideas related to Jerome’s sacrifices and as an ascetic.
Formal Elements
Goya’s visual communication in this painting is effective as the artwork can easily be understood by its viewers. Goya used different techniques with the primary aim of uniting different components of the painting, thus ensuring effectiveness in conveying its desired meaning jointly. Goya used lines in the painting to depict different things like stones, books, crucifix, the skull, and others. Through these lines, the painting makes it easy to express feelings and thoughts, both for practical and artistic reasons. These lines also help in the ability of viewers to observe and analyze the painting. The painting also makes effective use of two-dimensional figures, which helps in the ability of viewers to distinguish and understand different shapes used in the picture. Some of the shapes used in the painting include a human shape for Saint Jerome, a skull, and the shape of a book.
The space used for this painting plays a critical role in giving viewers references to useful interpret the artwork. Goya drew some of the objects larger than others which means that they are closer to the viewers. As a result, the painting includes both negative and positive spaces, making it easier for the viewer to interpret and understand. The forms used in the painting are also effective in creating this complex drawing and, most importantly, affecting the composition of the artwork. Goya’s paint also has a good balance of the paintwork. The paint used different colors to reflect light from different objects. As a result, the colors used are important in inducing viewers with different emotions based on each visual art element. The texture of the painting also plays a major role in guiding the viewer’s eye through the paint.
Conclusion
The painting of Saint Jerome in Penitence by Goya plays a critical role in highlighting one of the most important life experiences of Saint Jerome and his role and influences, particularly to Christianity. This artwork conveys a lot of important meaning that helped to influence people’s understanding of Christianity, particularly during its times. The artwork also utilizes the different formal elements of art, which play a significant and important role in influencing and improving the ability of viewers to understand it, interpret it, and, most importantly being attracted by the paint. As a result, the paint can be understood easily by its viewers.
Leave a Reply