Probably Caravaggio wanted to thank him with this painting for intervening in solving some of his judicial troubles. Saint Jerome Writing is a painting by the Italian master Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio in 1607 or 1608, housed in the Oratory of St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Malta. A depiction of Vespasianus Malaspina is found within the Co-Cathedral of Saint John on the right hand side of a window just above the chapel dedicated to the Langue of Italy. His mother passed away several years after that leaving him orphaned.He then had to fend for himself and befriended a group of painters and swordsmen. The head of Saint Jerome, intent on reading and interpretation, symbolically opposes the vanity of earthly goods, represented by the skull.We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. It can be compared with Caravaggio's earlier version of the same subject in the Borghese Gallery in Rome. He was among the first works of the artist to become part of the collection of the powerful cardinal. Two years later the painting was recovered when a ransom had been asked. He had spent the previous months in The coat of arms in the bottom right corner of the painting is that of Ippolito Malaspina, Prior of the Order of the Knights of Saint John (the Knights of Malta) in Naples. His translation of the bible into Latin, known as the Vulgate, became the … Caravaggio also created other paintings of him in Meditation and engaged in writing. One is conserved in the Cathedral of San Giovanni in Valletta, on the island of Malta and the other in the monastery of Montserrat in Spain.In the work we are struck by the splendid representation of the still life on the table and the strong chromatic impact given by the red mantle that surrounds the figure of the saint. It's possible that he may have had himself represented as the saint. Previously to his Maltese residence, Ippolito Malaspina was Admiral of the Papal Fleet. “St Jerome” 1607/08, Caravaggio, Museum of St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Malta. The canvas was cut out of the frame. The masterpiece was damaged and needed restoration before it was put on display again. Caravaggio describes Girolamo as an elder curved on the books of the Holy Scriptures, so he appears to us more a scholar than a penitent hermit who he was. He was among the first works of the artist to become part of the collection of the powerful cardinal. The protagonist of the picture is St. Jerome, a hermit, doctor of the Church and author of the translation of the Bible from Hebrew to Latin, the so-called “Vulgate”. Malaspina was a relative by marriage of Caravaggio's patron Ottavio Costa, a friend of his other patrons the Giustiniani brothers, and a cousin of Giovanni Andrea Doria, Prince of Genoa, who two years before had sheltered the artist after an earlier flight from Rome. He landed with the 'Grande Soccorso' and was present in the final onslought on the invading Ottoman forces. Saint jerome writing 1605 - by Caravaggio Courtesy of www.Caravaggio.org St. Jerome Writing was painted, according to Bellori, for Pope Paul V's nephew, Cardinal Scipione Borghese, who only arrived in Rome in the summer of 1605, but rapidly became a keen collector of Caravaggio's work. Generally dated to 1605-1606, the painting is … The painter was in fact known for his impulsive temperament, easy to clash and anger that caused him many problems during his short life. The saint is very frequent in the paintings of the Catholic Counter-Reformation period and in fact Caravaggio himself made at least two other canvases with the same subject. The subject seems oddly unmartial for a commission by a man whose Ippolito Malaspina arrived in Malta at the end of the Great Siege of 1565. Therefore, this knight indeed witnessed the final stages of the Great Siege. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Caravaggio arrived in Malta on 12 July 1607. Saint Jerome Writing, also called Saint Jerome in His Study or simply Saint Jerome, is an oil painting by Italian painter Caravaggio. The artwork was executed in a fast way, so there are irregularities in the rendering of the beard and the outlines of the books and cloak. Saint jerome in meditation 1606 - by Caravaggio Courtesy of www.Caravaggio.org Only acquired from Italy by its present owners in 1917, the Montserrat St. Jerome is possibly the picture of similar measurements listed in the Giustiniani inventory of 1638. The painting shows Saint Jerome, a Doctor of the Church in Roman Catholicism, who was famous subject for painting.