This portrait is believed to have been made when reformer Girolamo Savonarola was still alive and when Fra Bartolomeo was a follower of his renewal religious movement in Florence.

He attracted many followers and encouraged the creation of the famous bonfire of the vanities, where many worldly and secular belongings were burned in the fire.

[2] This portrait was made most likely in the last year of Savonarola's life, and expresses the artist admiration and support for the religious reformer.

His profile appears sharp and decided, and the latin inscription below expresses Fra Bartolomeo support for his religious mission: "Portrait of the prophet Jerome of Ferrara, sent by God.

"[3][4] The portrait was part of the exhibition Fra Bartolommeo – The Divine Renaissance, held in the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, in Rotterdam, in 2016.