Saint Jerome n.d.

Curator: Before us we have "Saint Jerome," an ink and pen drawing on paper, from the Art Institute of Chicago collection attributed to Paolo De Matteis. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the dynamism here. There's an energy in the lines, a kind of whirlwind that feels very Baroque. Curator: It's fascinating how De Matteis utilizes Saint Jerome, a figure central to the Church’s understanding of text and power, particularly his translation of the Bible, but we also see his vulnerability in his relationship to the wilderness, both his spiritual escape and imposed exile, his role as a cultural outsider, in some ways. Editor: Agreed. And technically, look at the way the crosshatching defines form. The highlights on his musculature and in the lion's mane are almost sculptural in their effect. There's definitely a dialogue happening between line and shadow here that pulls the viewer in. The clouds mimic the contours of the mountains, so tonally balanced. Curator: Absolutely, there’s a formal echo. Now think about that musculature—its exaggerated form speaks to a visual language rooted in a lineage of mostly European, male, theological art. It prompts the question, what about all of those figures and the real bodies upon which they were in fact shaped and inspired whose identities are relegated to a supporting role? Editor: That's valid. Though I appreciate how his expression captures such intense contemplation. He appears deep in thought but also mid-gesture. How does that tension—a thinker captured mid-action— speak to the narrative De Matteis wanted to convey? Is Jerome writing, gesturing in frustration or benediction? Curator: It really raises critical questions. Was it merely devotion to God or an act of colonial administration, that is, when Saint Jerome wrote, translated and reinterpreted religious dogma? How complicit are those depicted with such power in the enforcement of belief systems? And further, how are we impacted by them to this very day? Editor: Certainly some food for thought as we examine this image's technique. But perhaps the genius also lies in its composition: how all these elements are tied together within a unifying frame, which really underscores the balance, doesn't it? Curator: Well, regardless of where you find yourself on all of that, that sense of the whirlwind reminds me of the turmoil and turbulence from which narratives can then be spun. Editor: Agreed, the power and turmoil is visible from the ink right there on the page.