1497
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
St. Jerome in Penitence is a 1497 by Albrecht Dürer, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A thin man kneels on rocky ground, holding a rock to his chest. A small wooden cross sits on a tree stump beside him. A lion and a dog rest nearby, and plants grow in careful detail around them. This is Saint Jerome, who lived in the desert to pray. The rock was his way of punishing himself for bad thoughts. Dürer drew every leaf and pebble so you can almost feel the dry air. He made this print early in his career, before he became known for bigger works. Look up more prints by Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471–1528) to see how his style changed.
This print shows Albrecht Dürer’s interpretation of Saint Jerome in the wilderness. In this image, the saint is a gaunt penitent who kneels in front of a small crucifix placed on top of a tree stump (a reference to Christ’s cross and the tree of knowledge), while holding a rock in his right hand. Jerome was said to have beat his chest with a rock to alleviate his frequent hallucinations. Dürer included several different plant species, all Northern European in origin, displaying his dedication to the careful study and depiction of real plants.
According to legend, after he aided a lion by pulling a thorn from its paw, it became Saint Jerome's permanent companion.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
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