The Virgin and Child with Saints Paul and Jerome

Bartolomeo Vivarini's Virgin and Child with Saints Paul and Jerome belongs to his production of polyptych altarpieces for Venetian and Adriatic churches, combining the central Marian devotion with flanking apostolic and patristic authority. Paul and Jerome, both figures of intellectual conversion and scholarly engagement with scripture, made appropriate companions for a devotional altarpiece where the Virgin's presence invited contemplation and the saints modeled the appropriate response. Vivarini's precise figure drawing and bright mineral colors give this devotional ensemble the formal clarity expected of Murano workshop production.

Vivarini's signature hard-edged, sculptural modeling and brilliant coloring give the figures a powerful physical presence, with the influence of Paduan Renaissance art evident in the volumetric treatment of drapery.