After almost a decade of conservation work Parmigianino's "The Madonna and Child with Saints," also known as "The Vision of Saint Jerome" is being returned to public display as part of The National Gallery's bicentennial celebrations. During Parmigianino's brief stay in Rome and while he was working on the painting, the city was attacked by the forces of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. However, according to the Renaissance art biographer, Giorgio Vasari, Parmigianino's life was spared because of the stunning beauty of this work. (However, the payment of a large ransom may also have helped.) In any case, the extraordinary power of the work has long been admired, and it is once again on display at The National Gallery. Originally intended as the central panel of a triptych, the unusual composition of the finished painting is said to have been influenced by the narrow dimensions of the altarpiece commissioned by Maria Bufalini to commemorate her late husband. The work seems almost to fall into two natural parts, representing the physical and the divine. A muscular St John the Baptist, reminiscent of Michelangelo's figures points upward, while a recumbent St Jerome is nearby, apparently asleep. At the saint's side is his Cardinal's hat accompanied by a skull which probably serves as a memento mori suggesting the fugitive nature of the power and glory of this world. Above, the Virgin looks down upon the mortals below while the child Jesus more directly engages viewers, perhaps, inviting them to contemplate the implications of the artist's work. This exhibition presents this remarkable piece in the context of the artist's sketches which serve to illuminate the consummate draughtsmanship of the young Parmigianino. It offers the opportunity to appreciate the completed painting framed by some exquisite drawings brought together from the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Ashmolean and the Royal Collection. There is also a fascinating study for the figure of St Jerome lent by a private owner. Here's a splendid chance to appreciate this masterpiece in a novel context and to welcome it back to public display.
Rated: ★★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Image: Parmigianino, The Madonna and Child with Saints John the Baptist and Jerome, 1526-7. Oil on poplar, 342.9 × 148.6 cm. © The National Gallery, London. Presented by the Directors of the British Institution, 1826.
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