The Visions of Parmigianino
The artist’s career in Rome was curtailed by the sacking of the city in 1527 by the armies of Charles V but they were so impressed by his visionary painting that they spared his life.
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She is stepping down, earthbound, her quite large, sandaled left foot placing itself on the rocky outcrop that is within convenient reach. This great altarpiece, with its tremendous drama, seems to be poised between the sacred and the sensual; therein lies at least part of its fascination.
Parmigianino’s painting career in Rome was brutally curtailed by the sacking of the city — in May of 1527 it was invaded and laid to waste by the armies of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor. According to his biographer, Vasari, when the troops burst into the artist’s studio, they were so impressed (and perhaps cowed) by the extravagance and intensity of his visionary painting that they spared both his work and his life.
Parmigianino: The Vision of Saint Jerome continues at the National Gallery (Trafalgar Square, London, England) through March 9, 2025. The exhibition was curated by Maria Alambritis.
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