 |
||||||||
|
The Penitence
of Saint Jerome, ca. 1518 A milestone in the history of European landscape painting, this intact altarpiece may have been made for a church in south Germany: its outside wings show Saint Sebald, patron saint of Nuremburg, and Saint Anne with the Virgin and Christ Child, a popular theme in German art. The contrast between the closed shutters, with their shallow architectural niches and feigned sculpture, and the opened altarpiece, with its vast, panoramic view, could not be greater. We can measure visually the distance between cities, monasteries, and the rocky retreats of Saints Jerome, Anthony the Hermit (shown with the monsters that assailed him), and the Jordan River, where Christ is baptized. The viewer/worshiper is invited to mentally traverse these distances on a spiritual journey, admiring Patinir’s sheer mastery at every step along the way.
From Van Eyck to Bruegel Home | Next Page
|
Home |
Home |
Works of Art |
Curatorial Departments |
Collection Database |
Features |
Timeline of Art History |
Explore & Learn |
The Met Store |
Membership |
Ways to Give |
Plan Your Visit |
Calendar |
The Cloisters |
Concerts & Lectures |
Educational Resources |
Events & Programs |
FAQs |
Special Exhibitions |
My Met Museum |
Press Room |
Met Podcast |
Site Index |
Now at the Met |
MuseumKids Photograph Credits Copyright © 2000–2008 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved. Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy. |