St. Jerome in Penitence

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.

A vertically oriented print in black ink depicts Saint Jerome, an older man with light skin and a long beard. Shaded with fine hash marks and draped in heavily folded robes, he kneels within a rugged landscape. Facing our left, he holds a stone in his right hand. A lion lies at his feet. Craggy cliffs and thin trees fill the center, while a distant castle sits by water.

St. Jerome in Penitence

c. 1497

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)

Germany, late 15th Century early 16th Century

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