Saint Jerome

Art Historical Context

This delicate circular drawing of Saint Jerome, created by the anonymous artist known as Master C between 1401 and 1500, captures the revered scholar-saint in an intimate format measuring just over four centimeters in diameter. Executed in pen and brown ink, the work exemplifies the precision and economy of line that made this medium ideal for small-scale devotional images during the Renaissance. Such compact tondi were often designed for private contemplation, allowing collectors to carry or display them in personal settings. Saint Jerome, famous for his translation of the Bible into Latin, was a popular subject in fifteenth-century art, symbolizing both religious devotion and the emerging humanist interest in classical learning. The drawing’s modest size and fluid ink technique suggest it may have served as a study or a finished piece for an album or portable collection. Housed in the National Gallery of Art’s Rosenwald Collection, it offers a glimpse into the quiet, personal side of Renaissance artistic production.