Castilian school, Valladolid area, first half of the 16th century.

Castilian school, Valladolid area, first half of the sixteenth century.
"St. Jerome penitent.
Carved and polychrome wood.
It has an export permit.
It retains its original polychrome, without later Repainting. It has slight wear, cracks, small faults and occasional losses of polychrome typical of its age.
Measurements: 85 x 50 x 28 cm.

Imposing sculpture in carved and polychrome wood representing St. Jerome penitent, one of the most widespread iconographic models in Christian devotion. Made in Castile during the first half of the 16th century, the work is part of the transition between late Gothic and early Renaissance naturalism.

The saint appears kneeling on a rocky base, with his torso naked and partially covered by a wide red mantle with deep folds. Behind the figure rises a dry trunk, alluding to his ascetic retreat, while at his feet is the lion, a traditional attribute of the saint, represented next to a vessel that adds narrative richness to the whole.

The carving stands out for the strength of its presence, the monumentality of its conception and the careful treatment of the volumes. The torso reveals a precise attention to the anatomy, while the face, with its serene gaze and deep beard carved in wavy locks, concentrates the spiritual intensity of the image.

The antique polychromy acquires special relevance, with reddish, ochre and greenish shades that enrich the devotional reading of the work. The dense folds of the mantle, together with the ornamental treatment of the hair, the beard and the figure of the lion, are linked to the Castilian sculptural tradition of the early 16th century, characterized by its formal expressiveness and its marked decorative richness.

Due to its dimensions, technical quality and iconographic strength, this sculpture is a notable example of Castilian religious sculpture of the Renaissance. Its link with the Valladolid environment is especially significant, given the central role that this focus played in the renewal of Hispanic sculpture, in dialogue with Flemish, Italian and Germanic influences.

It is, in short, a work of great presence and collector appeal, remarkable for its scale, quality of execution, material conservation and permanence of polychromy, qualities that make it a unique piece within the Hispanic devotional sculpture market of the sixteenth century.