Saint Jerome in Penitence
Unknown Artist
c. 1480–1500
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
image: 15.1 × 21.6 cm · sheet: 15.1 × 21.6 cm
Classification
Department
Prints
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Dudley P. Allen Fund
Accession Number
1949.33
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In this inhospitable landscape, Saint Jerome appears strong and sure, praying toward a crucifix and holding a rock to beat his chest. Jerome retreated to the desert near Antioch (present-day Turkey) for four years to purify his soul through physical suffering. The cardinal’s hat and book refer to his later work translating the Bible into Latin, and the lion was his companion after he pulled a thorn from its paw. A tree holding a crucifix with a skull at its base refers to Christ’s cross and to E...