Saint Jerome
Theodoric of Prague·1370
Historical Context
Theodoric of Prague painted this Saint Jerome as part of the monumental decorative program for the Chapel of the Holy Cross at Karlštejn Castle, commissioned by Emperor Charles IV around 1360-1370. The chapel housed the imperial relic collection and crown jewels, making its painted decoration among the most prestigious artistic commissions in fourteenth-century Europe. Jerome, as translator of the Vulgate Bible and patron saint of scholars, held particular significance for the learned Luxemburg court.
Technical Analysis
Painted in tempera on panel with raised plaster relief elements, Theodoric's Jerome displays the artist's signature monumental plasticity — a massive figure with broad, softly modeled features and heavy volumetric drapery that gives the saint a commanding physical presence.
