Nunzio Rossi (1626 - c. 1690 ), Saint Jerome

This captivating 17th-century oil painting is a superb example of the Neapolitan Baroque school, attributed to Nunzio Rossi, an artist who worked in both Naples and Palermo. The work depicts Saint Jerome, one of the four Doctors of the Latin Church, a popular subject in Counter-Reformation art, often shown in penitence.
The artist has focused on a dramatic, close-up view of the saint, whose powerful, bearded face is the focal point of the composition. His eyes, filled with profound emotion and spiritual fervor, are directed heavenward, bathed in a celestial light that descends from an unseen source. This use of dramatic chiaroscuro, a hallmark of the period, not only illuminates the saint's features but also intensifies the emotional and spiritual gravity of the moment. The light

catches the wrinkles on his brow, the folds of his brow, and the texture of his long, white beard, conveying a sense of deep contemplation and age.
Rossi's fluid brushwork and rich, dark palette highlight the figure's muscular form, partially covered by a red garment, which stands out against the dark, empty background. The painting, previously attributed to Giovanni Battista Langetti, was definitively attributed to Nunzio Rossi by the expert Riccardo Lattuada, a testament to its quality and the artist's command of the Baroque style. The work was sold at an Old Master Painting auction in Vienna on October 22, 2024. Oil on canvas 77 x 64 cm