Saint Jerome exctracting a Thorn from the Lion's Foot (copy)

Art Historical Context

This woodcut copy, titled *Saint Jerome Extracting a Thorn from the's Foot*, captures a Christian legend attributed to Albrecht Dürer the preeminent Northern Renaissance printmaker (1471–1528). Dürer, for elevating woodcuts to fine art through intricate designs and masterful use of line, often depicted Saint Jerome—the scholar-saint who translated the Bible into Latin—in contemplative solitude. Here, Jerome tenderly removes a thorn from a lion's paw, symbol compassion and the taming of wild nature, with books scattered nearby evoking his scholarly devotion. Woodcuts like this one were revolut...

About the Artist

Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528

Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...