Antonio Maria Marini ( 1668-1725) -Saint Jerome in a landscape

Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 74 x 58 cm
Possible monogram lower left A..
This painting depicts Saint Jerome at prayer, kneeling before a crucifix and an open book, with a skull at his side, symbolizing meditation on death and the vanity of earthly life. The presence of a lion, visible on the hill to the left, refers to the legend that Saint Jerome tended a wounded lion. The entire scene takes place in a rocky, meditative landscape, under a cloudy sky, with contrasts of light and shadow that reinforce the work's spiritual, introspective atmosphere.
The wild, isolated landscape, with its imposing rock formations, is typical of late Baroque paintings, where nature plays a symbolic role in the depiction of saints and their relationship with the divine.
The artist's touch is relatively free and expressive in the treatment of landscapes, particularly in the textures of rocks and clouds. The painting uses soft, textured brushstrokes to render the details of the landscape, but more synthetically in the natural elements, creating a certain atmosphere of dynamism and movement in the scene.
The painting bears an antique label on the back stating “painted by Rembrandt (Original) in 1669”, with the number 112, and the mention “Duc d'Aumale”, suggesting a prestigious provenance. The latter could indicate that the painting belonged to the collection of the Duc d'Aumale, a famous 19th-century art collector, many of whose works are now housed at the Musée Condé in Chantilly. The handwritten number 357 may correspond to an inventory system.