Saint Matthew and Saint Jerome [verso] 1523 - 1524

This is a drawing of Saint Matthew and Saint Jerome, made by Correggio around the early 16th century using pen and brown ink with brown wash on paper. The composition is a flurry of gestural marks forming figures, their forms suggested through shadow rather than outline. They float within a space defined more by the frame than by any depicted ground. Note how the limited tonal range—from the pale paper to the dark ink—serves to flatten the image, emphasizing its constructed nature. Correggio, known for his innovative use of perspective and illusionism, seems here to be exploring the foundations of form itself. The visible pen strokes and the unfinished quality of the drawing draw attention to the process of creation, demystifying the image. This foregrounding of the medium anticipates later artistic movements that sought to expose the artifice inherent in representation. The image invites us not just to see, but to consider the act of seeing.