Cleveland Museum of Art

St. Jerome in Penitence

Albrecht Dürer

Date

c. 1497

Medium

engraving

Culture

Germany, late 15th Century early 16th Century

Department

Prints

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

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.

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