The hang of the works in the room appears to reflect on the idea of the portrait and, more specifically, on the collector’s attempt to present a portrait of himself through the works.
It is hands that attract the visitor’s attention here:contrasting in the Pontormo portrait, one tensed to hold
the book firmly and the other relaxed, almost as limpas the glove it holds; elegant in the case of Bordone’s
lady; and agitated in the case of the saint (one of the many depictions of St Jerome in the collection, which
is no coincidence, since Jerome is the patron saint of bibliophiles, scholars, and translators).
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