Saint Jerome (recto); Soldier with a Spear (verso) 1460 - 1525

Vittore Carpaccio made this drawing of Saint Jerome with chalk on blue paper during the Italian Renaissance. During this period, the Catholic Church served as a major patron of the arts, commissioning countless works to promote religious teachings. Here, Jerome, a key figure in the Church, kneels in contemplation, his aged features and simple garb emphasizing his devotion and humility. The drawing may have been a study for a larger painting, perhaps intended for a church or monastery. Its existence speaks to the institutional structures of artmaking at the time. Artists relied on commissions and patronage to sustain their practice. To understand this work, we can look to historical texts, such as letters between artists and patrons, and institutional records, which give us insight into the conditions that shaped its creation and reception. This way we can appreciate its meaning within the context of Renaissance society.