St Jerome and St Augustine

By 1490 Crivelli had spent over thirty years working in the Marche, and this late Jerome and Augustine shows his mature style at full development. Jerome appears as the scholar-hermit — gaunt, penitent, surrounded by books and his lion — while Augustine represents theological authority in episcopal robes. The pairing reflects the dual vocations of the contemplative and active religious life. Crivelli by this date had been awarded the title of 'Miles' (Knight) by Prince Ferdinand of Capua in 1490, giving him a social position unusual among painters.

Crivelli's late style shows even finer detail work than his earlier Marche panels: the embroidered robe of Augustine contains patterns described down to individual thread, while the texture of Jerome's roughened skin is rendered with remarkable specificity. The gold embossed background, unusual in work of this date, reflects his patrons' continued preference for medieval visual splendor.