Penitent Jerome 1497

Albrecht Dürer’s “Penitent Jerome” from 1497 shows Saint Jerome kneeling in a mountainous landscape with a lion beside him. Jerome, a 4th-century theologian known for translating the Bible into Latin, is often depicted with a lion, symbolizing his overcoming of wildness and embracing of faith. Dürer's detailed rendering of the figures, landscape, and even the lion’s fur exemplifies the Northern Renaissance style, known for its meticulous realism and interest in natural observation. This small-scale painting, now housed in the National Gallery in London, offers a glimpse into Dürer’s mastery of oil painting and his fascination with the human form.