Name/Title
Miniature after Salomon KoninckContext
This miniature is painted in oil on porcelain and is after a painting of the Dutch artist Salomon Koninck (1609-1656) entitled “The Hermit” (1643, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden, Germany). It depicts Saint Jerome who lived as a hermit in the desert of the southwest of Antioch. The Saint is known for translating the Bible from Greek into Latin and is therefore often represented as a scholar while reading.
Many copies in different sizes and on various substrates (enamel, porcelain, glass) can be found after the Dutch original. For instance, Rosenthal, the German manufacturer of porcelain produced painted porcelains plaques after the painting. The spread of the image and the resulting copies are due to the publication of prints after the most famous paintings from the royal gallery in Dresden (1753, original French title : “Recueil d’estampes d’après les Plus célèbres tableaux de la Galerie Royale De Drèsde”). Indeed, in the 18th century “The Hermit” was housed in the private collection of the Elector of Saxony. The publication of this royal collection explains the widespread success and imitation of the image.
The small-scale format of “The Hermit” in the collection of the Neill-Cochran House Museum could have served as an exemplary model, a contemplative and religious image, as well as a reminder that material attachments and comforts are ephemeral.Acquisition
Accession
2000.01Source or Donor
Robert E. and Millicent Louise McDonaldAcquisition Method
GiftMade/Created
Artist
Salomon Koninck, 1609-1656 (after)