The Penitent St. Jerome
Original title: The Penitent St. Jerome
kurzbeschreibung
Jost Amman, active between 1539 and 1591, drew Saint Jerome in a quiet landscape. The barefoot saint holds a pen; a lion lies beside him. The sheet is executed in pen and black and gray ink.
Description
Jerome sits in a landscape, barefoot and dressed in a simple tunic. He looks pensive while a pen rests on a book. A lion lies peacefully at his feet. Trees, shrubs, a well, and a small church step back into the distance. The layout is symmetrical, with the saint at the center. Black and gray are evenly distributed; there are no strong shadows or highlights.
Context
The Swiss artist Jost Amman is known mainly for his prints. This drawing was made during his Nuremberg years in the second half of the 16th century. Jerome was highly popular in the Renaissance, venerated both as a scholar and as a penitent. The sheet may have served as a model for a print or belonged to a collection of studies.
Impact
The drawing feels calm and contemplative through its symmetrical arrangement and even lighting. The detailed rendering of landscape and figures creates a clear, orderly impression characteristic of the Renaissance.
Technique
Pen in black and gray ink allows fine lines and precise structures. The artist himself added a double framing line in black ink. The technique permits a graduated gray effect that gives the sheet depth.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)