St. Augustine in His Study (Carpaccio)
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''St. Augustine in His Study'' (also called ''Vision of St. Augustine'') is a tempera on panel painting by the Italian Renaissance artist
Vittore Carpaccio Vittore Carpaccio (British English, UK: Help:IPA/English, /kɑːrˈpætʃ(i)oʊ/, American English, US: Help:IPA/English, /-ˈpɑːtʃ-/, Italian: Help:IPA/Italian, itˈtoːre karˈpattʃo c. 1460/66 – 1525/26) was an Italians, Italian pai ...
housed in the
Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni The Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni in Venice, northern Italy, was one of the city's confraternity, confraternities, a Scuole Piccole of Venice, scuola piccola located in the sestiere (neighborhood) of Castello, Venice. Its building has bee ...
of
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400  ...
, northern
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
.


History

The works dates to Carpaccio's mature period, when he was commissioned by the "scuola" (guild or corporation) of the '' Schiavoni'' (Dalmatians) to execute a cycle of nine paintings narrating the stories of their patron saints (George, Jerome, Augustine and Tryphon). The work began in 1502 and was completed in 1508. In the 1940s, the paintings underwent restoration that has since discoloured Carpaccio's original vibrant palette to amber tones. Some works have also partially detached from their canvas support and have areas of lifting and flaking paint, as well as scratches and abrasions. In September 2019, an expected two-year conservation campaign began under the sponsorship by the non-profit organization Save Venice Inc.


Description

The work portrays the traditional episode of
Saint Jerome Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is comm ...
appearing to St. Augustine to announce his imminent death and departure to Heaven. Carpaccio portrayed the African saint in his studio, in the moment in which he is distracted from his reading by the voice of Jerome, coming as a luminous shape in the window near the desk. The room is that typical of an acculturated humanist of the painter's age, depicted with his usual attention to details. The room is roughly rectangular, with a painted ceiling. Augustine sits on a bench over a pad, covered with green cloth and lined with studs; the desk is supported by a
candelabrum A candelabra (plural candelabras) or candelabrum (plural candelabra or candelabrums) is a candle holder with multiple arms. Although electricity has relegated candleholders to decorative use, interior designers continue to model light fixtures ...
. Some of the books show musical lines. Under the window are a file and an hourglass. Other elements depicted include measurement instruments, precious caskets, a bell, a shell, an
armillary sphere An armillary sphere (variations are known as spherical astrolabe, armilla, or armil) is a model of objects in the sky (on the celestial sphere), consisting of a spherical framework of rings, centered on Earth or the Sun, that represent lines of ...
, vases, bottles and others. In the center is a niche with an altar, where, as shown by the curtain moved aside, are Augustine's liturgic objects: a vest, a
mitre The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in ...
, the
crosier A crosier or crozier (also known as a paterissa, pastoral staff, or bishop's staff) is a stylized staff that is a symbol of the governing office of a bishop or abbot and is carried by high-ranking prelates of Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholi ...
and a
thurible A thurible (via Old French from Medieval Latin ) is a metal censer suspended from chains, in which incense is burned during worship services. It is used in Christian churches including the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Assyrian Church of th ...
which hangs near two candelabra. At the side of the altars are two twin portals, with fine decorations in Renaissance style. The left one is open, and shows a small room with a window, according to the taste for different lighting sources inspired by
Flemish painting Flemish painting flourished from the early 15th century until the 17th century, gradually becoming distinct from the painting of the rest of the Low Countries, especially the modern Netherlands. In the early period, up to about 1520, the painting ...
: this had become popular in Venice after its use by
Antonello da Messina Antonello da Messina, properly Antonello di Giovanni di Antonio, but also called Antonello degli Antoni and Anglicized as Anthony of Messina ( 1430February 1479), was an Italian painter from Messina, active during the Early Italian Renaissance. ...
in paintings such as '' St. Jerome in His Study'', which Carpaccio could perhaps observe and study. Here is a further number of details: a table with three couples of crossed legs and covered by a red tablecloth, further books, and, on a shelf running for the room's perimeter, several scientific and astronomical instruments, including
Regiomontanus Johannes Müller von Königsberg (6 June 1436 – 6 July 1476), better known as Regiomontanus (), was a mathematician, astrologer and astronomer of the German Renaissance, active in Vienna, Buda and Nuremberg. His contributions were instrumental ...
'
astrolabe An astrolabe ( grc, ἀστρολάβος ; ar, ٱلأَسْطُرلاب ; persian, ستاره‌یاب ) is an ancient astronomical instrument that was a handheld model of the universe. Its various functions also make it an elaborate inclin ...
which, at the time, was owned only by
John Bessarion Bessarion ( el, Βησσαρίων; 2 January 1403 – 18 November 1472) was a Byzantine Greek Renaissance humanist, theologian, Catholic cardinal and one of the famed Greek scholars who contributed to the so-called great revival of letters ...
, and is likely to have inspired Carpaccio for the saint's representation. On the left two long shelves, housing more books with gaudy covers, a series of antiques (vases, bronze and others), a candle basement shaped as a lion paw (another is placed symmetrically on the opposite wall) and, below, large volumes, a seat and a
prie-dieu A prie-dieu ( French: literally, "pray oGod") is a type of prayer desk primarily intended for private devotional use, but which may also be found in churches. A similar form of chair in domestic furniture is called "prie-dieu" by analogy. S ...
. In the center of the room is a German Spitz dog and, nearby, a cartouche with the artist's signature and the date. File:Vittore Carpaccio 028.jpg, In the center of the room is a German Spitz dog File:Vittore Carpaccio 036.jpg, File:Vittore Carpaccio 029.jpg, A little altar File:Vittore Carpaccio 034.jpg, A bookshelf File:Vittore Carpaccio 035.jpg, A chair File:Vittore Carpaccio 030.jpg, La pedana File:Vittore Carpaccio 032.jpg, Music notes File:Vittore Carpaccio 033.jpg, La scrivania


See also

* ''St. George and the Dragon'' (Carpaccio)


References


Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Augustine in His Study (Carpaccio) 1502 paintings Paintings by Vittore Carpaccio Dogs in art Paintings of Augustine of Hippo Paintings in Venice Books in art