The Vision of Saint Jerome

The Vision of Saint Jerome, completed in 1526-27, was Parmigianino's most important Roman commission, painted for the church of San Salvatore in Lauro. The work was so celebrated that when the artist fled the Sack of Rome in 1527, he managed to save it. The painting eventually entered the collection of the National Gallery in London and remains one of the key works of Roman Mannerism. Characteristic of Parmigianino's approach, the work displays extreme elegance, elongated forms, serpentine grace, refined palette.

The composition creates a powerful vertical axis from the sleeping Jerome through the hovering Madonna and Child, employing dramatic foreshortening and spatial compression. The monumental figure of the Baptist at right anchors the composition, while luminous flesh tones and rich color harmonies create a visually sumptuous surface.