Saint Jerome Penitent in the Wilderness
ca. 1496
Medium
Engraving; second state of two
Dimensions
Sheet: 12 5/8 × 8 7/8 in. (32.1 × 22.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Grace F. Knowlton, 1984
Accession Number
1984.1207.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Dürer, a pioneering figure of the Northern Renaissance, created *Saint Jerome Penitent in Wilderness* around 1496, showcasing his mastery of engraving. second-state print depicts the fourth-century Church Father Saint Jerome in contemplative solitude amid a rugged landscape. Traditionally shown with a lion—symbolizing a legend where he removed a thorn from its paw—Jerome kneels in penance, surrounded by attributes like a skull, crucifix, and open Bible, evoking themes of mortality, redemption, and scholarly devotion. Dürer's engraving technique revolutionized printmaking, using fine ...
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 ...