Virgin and Child with Saints Jerome and Francis, 1457

About the Acquisition

Johann David Passavant (1787-1861) trained as a merchant in Frankfurt, but he then worked as a painter and art expert. In 1839 he published his book on Raphael from Urbino and his father, Giovanni Santi, which the author dedicated to the "highly esteemed administration" of the Städel. In 1840 Passavant was appointed to the position of gallery inspector at the Städel. He bequeathed this painting to the museum during his lifetime, and further works by old masters followed with his bequest of 1861.