Heilige Hieronymus in de wildernis c. 1592 - 1622

Curator: Vespasiano Strada's "Saint Jerome in the Wilderness," dating from around 1592 to 1622, immediately presents us with a deeply textured scene, doesn't it? Look at all that detail! Editor: The immediate impression is stark – so much black and white. But then the eye is drawn in by the play of light and shadow defining form from the wilderness, which definitely foregrounds the labor required to create such precise engravings. It must have been so consuming to engrave these. Curator: Exactly. And consuming perfectly describes Jerome’s mission. Look closer; his intense concentration as he writes carries an almost unbearable emotional and intellectual weight. Note the skull there. A constant visual reminder that time on Earth, is fleeting and only service for God matters. Editor: Well, I am intrigued by how such religious subject matter, normally grand in scale, becomes something intimate when rendered as a print. Prints are accessible items produced for widespread circulation, so a different kind of audience is consuming this scene in a material sense. How many impressions of this print existed? The labor intensity for each feels worth remarking on. Curator: Certainly a consideration! His placement, surrounded by symbols, underscores his role. The lion, of course, is said to be his loyal companion, and a symbol of courage. I find it so interesting to see that symbolism carried over to the domestic setting, the cup with a beverage sitting there like any scholar's. Editor: It is fascinating how Strada transforms a religious narrative into a repeatable commodity through the mechanics of engraving. Considering how the prints spread widely, its symbolism and meaning shifts as these were distributed. So much to learn! Curator: It really underscores how images of belief were consumed and made material in the world. A final lingering thought about Vespasiano Strada’s enduring narrative through iconic form. Editor: The materials involved transformed this biblical story to something people can engage on a much more common scale. Thank you!