Saint Jerome Penitent in the Wilderness
Original title: Saint Jerome Penitent in the Wilderness
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer's engraving from around 1496 shows Saint Jerome as a penitent hermit in a rocky wilderness. The saint sits barefoot on a stone, dressed in a simple tunic, with a lion at his side. This print is considered an early testament to Dürer's high skill in printmaking.
Description
Saint Jerome has settled on a rock in the middle of the image, gazing thoughtfully into the distance. A tunic slips from his shoulder, leaving his chest bare; his hair and beard are white. To the right, a lion lies flat on the ground. The back area is filled with rocks, trees, a small chapel, and a village view on the horizon. The layout stretches horizontally, and light falls evenly from above, creating delicate gray gradations.
Context
Dürer made this engraving around 1496, during or immediately after his first trip to Italy. The subject of the penitent Jerome was widespread in the Renaissance and highlighted the ascetic piety of the Church Father. The lion recalls the legend that Jerome removed a thorn from the animal's paw. Dürer combined the religious motif with a closely observed landscape.
Impact
The saint's contemplative posture and the expansive landscape create a quiet, gathering mood. Through differentiated linework and soft shading, the print looks almost like a painting. The viewer is transported to the solitude of the wilderness, which at the same time suggests closeness to God.
Technique
Dürer used engraving for this work: lines are incised into a copper plate and then printed. The fine hatching and cross-hatching model the surfaces of rock, fur, and drapery, while the plate was trimmed to the edge, indicating careful printing.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)