Follower of Marinus van Reymerswale; 17th century.

Follower of MARINUS VAN REYMERSWALE (Reimerswaal, ca. 1489- Goes, ca. 1546); 17th century.
"St. Jerome in his study".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
It presents restorations in the pictorial surface.
It has a frame from c. 1600.
Measurements: 88 x 124 cm; 93 x 128 cm (frame).
This painting, made by a follower of Marinus van Reymerswale, reproduces one of the most characteristic compositions of the master, whose signed version dated 1541 is preserved in the Museo del Prado. It is very likely that this copy was made at a similar date, given the stylistic and iconographic similarity.
One of the most striking elements of the work is the prominent inclusion of the Last Judgment in the open Bible, an image taken from a German engraving that accompanies a passage from the Gospel according to St. Matthew. This scene, together with the gesture of the saint pointing to the skull, emblem of the transience of earthly life, gives this version a more explicit moralizing reading than other variants, such as the one preserved in Lisbon, where the introspective and meditative tone of the character predominates.
The meticulous representation of the saint's face, with its marked wrinkles and sunken, modeled cheeks, reveals a profound knowledge of the Flemish portrait technique. This detailed treatment of facial aging is directly reminiscent of Marinus' original Saint Jerome, in which each brushstroke contributes to constructing a countenance charged with humanity.
The formal affinity with Dürer's art is evident in both the technical execution and the compositional structure. It is likely that the author of this version, possibly active in Antwerp, was familiar with works by the German master or artists influenced by him, which circulated widely in the Netherlands during the 16th century. This visual proximity to the Germanic style could partly explain the success of the different variants of Marinus' Saint Jerome, to the point that for centuries many of them were attributed to his entourage or to Dürer himself.