St Jerome 

Titian painted this representation of St Jerome, sometime in the mid-16th century. Note the circular form, a ‘tondo’, which immediately establishes a sense of enclosure, drawing us into a close, almost intimate encounter with the saint. The artist’s manipulation of colour is also striking. Observe the somber earth tones that envelope Jerome, contrasted against the vivid red of his robe, which not only pulls our eye but may suggest a tension between worldly and spiritual realms. Titian’s rendering of texture is particularly noteworthy. With loose brushwork he evokes the roughness of Jerome’s beard and the leathery quality of his aged skin. These tactile qualities emphasize his physicality, whilst the book, held gently in his hands, suggests a parallel engagement with the intellectual or divine. Through these formal techniques, Titian invites us to consider the complex interplay between the material and the spiritual, the earthly and the transcendent, reflecting broader philosophical debates.