St Jerome in the wilderness 1707 - 1769

Francesco Fontebasso sketched ‘St Jerome in the Wilderness’, using pen and brown ink, with brown wash. The composition centers on St Jerome, hunched over a book, set against a landscape indicated with sparse lines. The sepia ink, applied in layered washes, creates depth and shadow. Linear strokes define forms, yet maintain a sense of movement. Fontebasso uses line to construct a semiotic landscape, where each element—the lion, the skull, the angel—functions as a sign. These symbols create a structure of meaning, reflecting cultural and religious narratives. Fontebasso destabilizes conventional representations through his emphasis on line and form, reflecting a broader artistic concern with perception and representation. The tension between the detailed foreground and the abstracted background suggests a meditation on the nature of faith. This piece challenges fixed meanings and encourages ongoing interpretation within cultural discourse.