Attributed to Sebastián Llanos Vadés

Attributed to SEBASTIÁN LLANOS VALDÉS (ca. 1605-1677).
"St. Jerome.
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 191 x 112,5 cm (frame).
The painting represents St. Jerome in one of the most characteristic episodes of his penitential iconography, isolated in a rocky and somber environment that reinforces the ascetic and meditative dimension of the saint. The figure, of wiry anatomy and vehement gesture, is arranged in a violent diagonal foreshortening that dynamizes the composition and leads the viewer's gaze towards the face, intensely expressive, turned upwards in an attitude of spiritual rapture. The treatment of the naked body, barely covered by a large red cloth, shows a marked interest in anatomical study and in the pictorial translation of physical and emotional effort.
From the stylistic point of view, the work is fully inscribed in the Sevillian baroque naturalism, with clear tenebrist resonances. The dark and poorly defined background acts as a scenic box, making the figure emerge through a strong light contrast that models volumes and accentuates the saint's corporeality. The brushstroke, loose but precise, is especially appreciated in the red cloth, whose chromatic intensity not only fulfills a symbolic function alluding to fervor and sacrifice, but also becomes the main visual focus of the composition. This expressive use of color, contained but effective, is characteristic of the pictorial language of Sebastián Llanos Valdés.
The artistic quality of the work is manifested in the ability to combine drama and restraint. The face of Saint Jerome, furrowed by wrinkles and a gray beard, is treated with a sober realism that flees from idealism to emphasize the vital and spiritual experience of the saint. The gesture of the raised hand, together with the iconographic attributes, the open book in the lower corner, symbol of his work as a translator of the Bible, and the penitential stone, reinforce the theological reading of the scene, centered on the inner conflict and the search for divine truth.
The observable stylistic features, the crude naturalism, the pronounced chiaroscuro, the expressiveness of the gesture and the economy of narrative elements, allow us to convincingly relate this painting to the circle of Sebastián Llanos Valdés, one of the main exponents of the Sevillian Baroque prior to the full development of the Murillo language.