Parmigianino’s Vision of Saint Jerome Returns to National Gallery After Restoration

The National Gallery in London has unveiled Parmigianino’s "Vision of Saint Jerome" after a decade-long absence and a meticulous restoration, marking the museum’s bicentennial. The altarpiece, owned by the gallery since near its founding in 1824, is displayed alongside preparatory drawings for the first time, offering insight into the artist’s creative process. Painted in 1527 when Parmigianino was 23, the work is a key example of Mannerism. According to Giorgio Vasari, during the 1527 Sack of Rome, lansquenets spared the painter’s life upon seeing the painting. The work was hidden in a church crypt and later recovered after Parmigianino’s death at age 37, possibly from malaria. In 1558, it was moved to Città di Castello for the Bufalini family chapel in Sant’Agostino. A 1789 earthquake destroyed Raphael’s Pala Baronci but left the Parmigianino unharmed. The restoration has revived original colors and removed previous interventions, with a new gold frame based on its first setting in Rome’s San Salvatore in Lauro. Curators Maria Alambritis and Matthias Wivel highlight the artist’s elegant elongation of bodies and intentional spatial distortion, seen in pen and black chalk drawings. The exhibition runs until March 9, 2025.