17th-century Follower of El Greco

With Tomasso, Leeds and London;

Their sale, London, Sotheby's, 19 October 2021, lot 96, for £25,200;

Where acquired by the present owner.

This work is a 17^th-century replica after the painting by El Greco in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.¹ Saint Jerome is shown in the red vestments of a cardinal, seated before an open book, indicative of his role as translator of the Bible from Greek into Latin in the fifth century. His gaunt features and long white beard refer to his familiar guise as a penitent, recalling his retreat to the Syrian desert.

¹ Inv. no. 1975.1.146; oil on canvas; 108 x 89 cm.; https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/459088?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=el+greco&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=4