«It is possibly by Lazzaro? If so his masterpiece»: nuove luci sul San Gerolamo nello studio di Lazzaro Bastiani a Monopoli
Abstract
The Saint Jerome Altarpiece in Monopoli is crucial for understanding the spread of Venetian figurative culture in Puglia (fifteenth-sixteenth centuries). The work, long debated, illustrates the complex artistic and cultural ties between Venice and the Southern Adriatic, and the influence of local social events. Originally in the Romanesque cathedral, the altarpiece was initially linked to Gentile Bellini before Lazzaro Bastiani was definitively attributed by Berenson and Longhi (1934). The work’s critical history, intertwined with Berenson’s ‘art pilgrimages’, reveals complex attributions oscillating between Venetian and Adriatic-Apulian traditions. This piece underscores the altarpiece’s role as a hinge between Venice and Puglia, acting as a paradigm for the reception of Renaissance art along the Adriatic routes. The Monopoli altarpiece is a cardinal work for studying local patronage and imported artistic languages, confirming Monopoli’s strategic position in the Italian Renaissance.
Submitted: Sept. 25, 2025 | Published Dec. 15, 2025 | Language: it
Keywords Bastiani, Monopoli, Puglia
Copyright © 2025 Andrea Fiore. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/VA/2385-2720/2025/01/006