Saints Jerome and Dorothea adore Christ in the tomb
Moretto da Brescia·1520
Historical Context
Moretto's Saints Jerome and Dorothea Adore Christ in the Tomb depicts a devotional encounter between the scholarly Church Father and the virgin martyr at the body of the dead Christ — a composite devotional image that combines the Pietà subject with the veneration of two quite different saints. Jerome, the translator of the Bible, and Dorothea, the martyred maiden who sent roses and apples from paradise to her persecutor, represent the complementary dimensions of Christian faith: scholarship and miraculous grace. Moretto's ability to combine theologically distinct saints in a shared devotional space reflects his sophisticated understanding of how altarpieces functioned as programs of multiple devotional foci within a single composition.
Technical Analysis
The restrained emotion and silvery palette create a contemplative atmosphere appropriate to the Lamentation theme, with careful attention to the body of Christ rendered in Moretto's characteristically precise manner.
