Early portrait of Saint Jerome by Van Dyck sold at auction in Switzerland for 2.4 million francs

A very small allegorical portrait of Saint Jerome, 47 x 40 cm, by the young Van Dyck sold at auction in Switzerland for 2.4 million francs (that is, 2.2 million euros) against an estimate of 600,000-800,000 euros. It is one of several Van Dyck depictions of Jerome, and not the commonest sort of work for him, with its half-naked body. Compare Rubens, whose pupil Van Dyck was, and one notices the two painters' differing attitudes to nakedness, and even to half-nakedness, as here: awkward and second-hand. This picture offers an occasion to reflect on the master's influence on the manner and style of his pupil: in his early years Van Dyck worked a great deal with Rubens, which could not fail to leave its mark on both his subjects and their execution.

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Early portrait of Saint Jerome by Van Dyck sold at auction in Switzerland for 2.4 million francs

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September digest: archaeological finds, exhibitions, museums, theatre and the Church

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