by Redazione , published on 06/01/2025
Categories: Art ancien
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In London, the National Gallery completes conservation work on Parmigianino’s Vision of Saint Jerome and the work returns to the public after a decade, in an exhibition that also includes several preparatory drawings.
For the first time in ten years, a masterpiece of Parmesan cheese (Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola; Parma, 1503 – Casalmaggiore, 1540) returns to the public at National Gallery de Londres after careful conservation work: this is the Vision of Saint Jeromea masterpiece of 16th-century Italian painting that arrived at the National Gallery in 1826, two years after the institution’s founding. The work is presented in an exhibition accompanied by a selection of the most important preparatory drawings, tracing the development of Parmigianino’s unique final composition. Thanks to works loaned by important national and international collections, the exhibition aims to offer visitors the opportunity to follow the artist’s creative processfrom initial ideas to final drawings, and to immerse yourself in the mind of one of the most innovative artists of the 16th century.
Maria Alambritiscurator of Parmigianino, said: “We are fortunate to have Parmigianino’s Roman masterpiece, his only altarpiece in a British collection, in the National Gallery. Its return to public view after a decade is a very special moment to celebrate its importance, and this exhibition offers an unprecedented opportunity to encounter the painting alongside a selection of his exceptional preparatory drawings. I hope that visitors will be delighted to discover this magnificent work and immerse themselves in the extremely elegant style and unique visionary universe of Parmigianino”.
The Vision of Saint Jerome
Born into a family of painters, Parmigianino, with his precocious talent, attracted the attention of rich and cultured patrons from an early age. His growing fame as an artist preceded his arrival in Rome around May 1524, where he was personally received by Pope Clement VII. At this time, Rome was dominated by Raphael’s serene and classical style, characterized by idealized beauty. The grace, wit and refined execution of Parmigianino’s early works have earned him the reputation of a sort of Raphael reborn.
The Vision of Saint Jeromea title that the work acquired in the 19th century due to the pose of Saint Jerome, was painted by Parmigianino when he was only 23 years old, during his brief stay in Rome, where he worked from 1524 to 1527. The work was commissioned by a noble patron, Maria Bufalinias an altarpiece for a church chapel San Salvatore in Lauroan important religious complex in the heart of Rome. The work represented a great opportunity for the young artist at a crucial moment in his career: however, the painting would never be installed in the church for which it was designed.
According to Giorgio VasariParmigianino was in fact working on this altarpiece in 1527, at the time when the disastrous Sack of Rome broke out. When Charles V’s imperial troops burst into the artist’s studio, they were so amazed by the painting that they allowed Parmigianino to continue working. However, the artist eventually fled Rome and the painting was hidden for safety. It was only long after the artist’s death that the patron’s heirs recovered it and transferred it to the family church in City of Castelloin central Italy, in 1558. In 1790, the work was purchased by the English painter James Durno and transferred to England. After a few passages, it found itself in the collection of the Reverend Holwell Carr, who sold it to the National Gallery in London in 1826.
-Parmigianino’s altarpiece demonstrates the breadth of influences he absorbed in Rome, from the art of Raphael and Michelangelo to ancient sculpture. More than just a collection of works by other artists, it reveals Parmigianino’s unique visionary approach to image-making. In the rays of light from the top of the altarpiece, a majestic Madonna in pink sits on a throne of puffy clouds. The Child, with blond, curly hair, walks towards us, and under the two main figures we can see the figure of John the Baptist looking at us while his arm, of abnormally long and unrealistic length, directs our attention to the holy mother and child above, and behind him, a sleeping Jerome seems strangely unaware of the divine apparition, lying in the dense tangle of roots and leaves growing around him.
Parmigianino fut l’un des designers the most talented and prolific of the 16th century. Nearly a thousand drawings attributed to him survive today. Parmigianino devoted numerous drawings to the development of Vision of Saint Jeromefrom atmospheric, velvety studies executed in chalk to swirling pen and ink sketches. These sheets reveal his great talent as a draftsman and his extraordinary mastery of all media.
Recent conservation treatment made it possible to eliminate the accumulated layers of old varnish and touch-upsrevealing the vivid quality brushwork and the richness of Parmigianino’s colors. The new frame for the painting, created by the National Gallery’s Framing Department, was designed based on preserved contemporary examples and gives an idea of the original setting of the church.
Parmigianino’s distinctive style, with its incredibly elongated figures and air of refinement combined with an unexpected subversion of space, paved the way for the development of the style later known as mannerism. With its extremely vertical composition, lush brushwork, and shimmering palette, this painting has amazed viewers for nearly 500 years.
The exhibition catalog provides in-depth information on the painting from the exhibition curators, with contributions from guests such as Aimee Ng, curator of the Frick Collection in New York, and Larry Keith, chief curator and keeper of the collection at the National Gallery. The catalog also has a special plate section with full-page illustrations of all known preparatory drawings. Maria Alambritis’ research presented in this exhibition was supported by the Rick Mather David Scrase Foundation.
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| London, after a decade, the Vision of Saint Jerome of Parmigianino is exhibited again |
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