First quarter of the 17th Century
Saint Jerome as Doctor of the Latin Church in his Study, a view into a Chapel with an Altar to the right
Oil on panel
H. 27 cm. W. 37.5 cm.
PROVENANCE
Private collection
REFERENCE LITERATURE
Howarth, J. (2009). The Steenwyck Family as Masters of Perspective. Turnhout 2009, pp. 237-240
CATALOGUE NOTE
This painting follows a composition by Hendrick van Steenwyck the Younger, who revised the theme of Saint Jerome in his study several times over his career. Howarth lists 24 versions of this subject by or attributed to Steenwijck II. The theme allowed the master of perspective to depict a contemporary interior with a religious subject and the interiors range from palaces to smaller homes. The earliest version of the composition with windows to the left, an arch with a chapel beyond and a fireplace to the right was is dated ‘1604’ (sale Christie’s, London, 9 July 2003, lot 13), the latest signed and dated ‘HENRI V STEINWICK 1630’ (formarly in the Ritman collection, sold at Sotheby’s, London, 4 July 2012, lot 17). The lion relaxing on the tiled floor is Jerome’s iconographical attribute.
Although Hendrick van Steenwijck the Younger is probably best known for his paintings of church interiors, he also painted several other highly detailed religious scenes. Here we see Saint Jerome, wearing not his traditional red coat, seated at his desk writing. Behind him on a shelf above the panelled cupboard are books and bottles. A clock stands on the edge of the shelf. His red cardinal’s hat is hanging from the cupboard, as are carefully posted notes held in place by taut red ribbons. To the right there is a view down a corridor to a chapel, in which a painted altarpiece is visible. The lion, St. Jerome’s attribute, is calmly lying in front of the fireplace. The light is coming from the left, illuminating the room very delicately, giving the whole space a sense of quiet tranquillity. Steenwijck shows here his great talent for creating a sense of peaceful atmosphere within his paintings and this is particularly suited to the depiction of Jerome who was traditionally associated with the notion of theological and contemplative life.
Hendrick van Steenwijck the Younger left Antwerp for London in or shortly before 1617, and remained there until at least 1637. By the time of Charles I’s accession in 1625, Van Steenwijck was well established at the Royal Court. He was clearly on good terms with Anthony van Dyck, who included his own portrait of him in his engraved iconography. Van Steenwijck the Younger is known to have painted this scene on more than one occasion.
The tradition of depicting St Jerome in his study developed from Jan van Eyck to Albrecht Dürer, who depicted him both in the wilderness and in his study translating the Bible. Dürer’s engraving of 1514, of which an example is in the British Museum, London (inv. nr. PD 1868-8-22-185) must have been known to Van Steenwijck the Younger’s father, whose brother-in-law, Frederick van Valckenborch was particularly interested in Dürer and owned a collection of Dürer’s letters to the Frankfurt patrician Jacob Heller. Through his father, Hendrick van Steenwijck the Elder, also an artist of church interiors, Van Steenwijck the Younger must have become familiar with Dürer’s way of representing Saint Jerome. However, whereas in Dürer’s print the saint and the lion dominate the composition, in Steenwijck’s versions, as seen here, they take on a less obvious role, the focus being more on the setting than the man himself.