Saint Jerome and the Lion 1662 - 1721

"Saint Jerome and the Lion" is a 17th-century oil painting by Dutch artist Matthijs Naiveu, housed at the Statens Museum for Kunst in Denmark. The painting, executed in a dark and somber palette, depicts the biblical Saint Jerome, a scholar and translator, meditating in a dark cave. The saint is holding a skull, a traditional symbol of mortality, while a lion sits at his feet, referencing the legend of Jerome taming the beast. The dramatic lighting and the saint's contemplative pose contribute to the painting's somber and introspective tone.