St. Jerome in the Wilderness (1509, Met-Objekt 2448)
Original title: St. Jerome in the Wilderness
kurzbeschreibung
Seated on a rock and absorbed in a book, Saint Jerome appears in Lucas Cranach the Elder's woodcut of 1509. A lion rests beside him, and the landscape closes around the figure. The sheet measures 33.4 x 22.6 cm.
Description
Jerome has settled himself comfortably on a rock and reads; a lion lies at his feet. Behind him a landscape with trees and bushes opens out, a small building stands among them, and banners flutter from the trees. The layout is broad and draws the figures toward the middle. Black on white, with even light and no shadows. The lines are meticulous and precise, drawing out the structure of the trees and the countryside.
Context
Cranach made this woodcut in 1509, while he was working in Wittenberg as court painter to the Saxon electors. The subject of Jerome was widely popular in the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance; it often illustrated ascetic eremitic life and the translation of the Bible. Here Cranach joined religious iconography to a detailed landscape, which shows his engagement with the Danube School.
Impact
The calm arrangement and finely tuned lines give the sheet a contemplative mood. Even brightness and a clear pictorial structure produce a timeless clarity. The lion and the act of reading create an intimate, quiet atmosphere.
Technique
A woodcut, which is a relief printing process: the drawing is cut into a block of wood and then printed onto paper. The precise lines and the detailed rendering of landscape and figures show Cranach's assured handling of the technique. Printed in black on white, which emphasizes the contrasts and the graphic effect.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)