Farcaster

c. 1515
The Penitence of Saint Jerome
Artist: Joachim Patinir

This triptych depicts three different religious narratives, united by a rich and varied landscape that extends in an atmospheric panorama. In the central panel, Saint Jerome is depicted kneeling before a crucifix as he flagellates his bared chest with a sharp rock in his right hand. In the left wing, John the Baptist kneels as he baptizes Christ, who wears a loincloth and stands in the Jordan River, while on the right wing the anchorite Saint Anthony reads Holy Scripture while being tormented by demons. The arm gestures of the three figures – pouring water, holding the rock of penance, lifting a hand in prayer – all point toward Christ, uniting the disparate scenes in Christian devotion. What’s emphasized as art historian Lynn Jacobs noted is “the connected nature of their anchorite experiences and unites them as exemplars of virtue and models of the monastic ideal who retreated to the wilderness to escape the sins of the city.”