Saint Jerome in His Study by Lucas van Leyden

Saint Jerome in His Study 1521

print, engraving

facial expression drawing

quirky sketch

print

pencil sketch

personal sketchbook

portrait reference

sketchwork

pen-ink sketch

portrait drawing

engraving

pencil art

fantasy sketch

Lucas van Leyden's "Saint Jerome in His Study" (1521), a masterful example of Northern Renaissance engraving, depicts the saint in his contemplative space. Jerome, a Church father and translator of the Bible, is shown immersed in his work, surrounded by the tools of his trade: a book, an inkwell, and a quill. The presence of a skull, a traditional reminder of mortality, underscores the themes of introspection and contemplation central to Jerome's life. The lion, a symbol of Christ's strength, further emphasizes Jerome's unwavering faith. This small-scale yet detailed engraving showcases van Leyden's skill in capturing both the physical and the spiritual essence of his subject.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Few printmakers approached Jerome's lion as sweetly as Lucas van Leyden, the Netherlandish counterpart to Albrecht Dürer. In legend Jerome removed a thorn from the animal's paw, earning himself a lifelong companion. While the saint contemplates the afterlife, the lion lets him know that one foot is still very much of this world. If the lion represents the wilderness where Jerome sought to conquer his physical passions, the animal's cuddly domestication suggests the triumph of rationality over base desire.