PRAYING IN THE WILDERNESS
The penitent Jerome—aged, gaunt, and nearly toothless—kneels in prayerful meditation before a cave in a rocky landscape. Reclining before Jerome is the tame lion, his companion in the desert.
To commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), The Metropolitan Museum of Art will display the artist’s painting Saint Jerome Praying in the Wilderness (begun ca. 1483). A special loan from the Vatican Museums, this monumental, exquisitely rendered painting is in an unfinished state, providing viewers with extraordinary insights into the artist’s creative process. Opening July 15, Leonardo da
Vinci’s Saint Jerome will pay homage to one of the most renowned geniuses of all time.
This presentation at The Metropolitan Museum of Art has been organized with the generous collaboration of the Vatican Museums and the support of its director, Dr. Barbara Jatta.
The exhibition is made possible by The New York Chapter of The Patrons of The Arts in The Vatican Museums, and the Placido Arango Fund.
“We are thrilled to honor Leonardo da Vinci’s legacy by displaying this rare and exceptional painting, as it provides an intimate glimpse into the mind of a towering figure of Western art,” said Max Hollein, Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Scholars over centuries have hotly debated, rightly or wrongly, the attribution of certain paintings by Leonardo, but the Vatican Museums’ Saint Jerome is one of possibly six paintings whose authorship...READ MORE
