St. Jerome in the Desert 1506 - 1516

Hans Baldung created this woodcut, St. Jerome in the Desert, in the early 16th century. It depicts the saint in a rocky wilderness with a lion, a popular subject at the time. But Baldung’s vision goes beyond the typical devotional image, and the setting is crucial here. We see Jerome not in some generic, symbolic desert, but in a very particular landscape reminiscent of the Alps. This reflects the cultural context of Baldung’s Germany, where the natural world was both feared and revered. The wildness mirrors the spiritual trials of the hermit. The detailed rendering of plants and animals, meanwhile, reflects the emerging scientific interest in the natural world during the Renaissance. Notice, too, the prominent church in the background, a reminder of the institutional framework within which Jerome’s piety exists. By studying Baldung’s life and the artistic traditions of his time, as well as the social and religious history of the German Renaissance, we can gain a deeper understanding of this compelling image. Art history reminds us that meaning is always tied to context.