Saint Jerome in a Cave c. 1480 - 1538
albrechtaltdorfer
minneapolisinstituteofart
print, woodcut
germany
pen drawing
pen illustration
pen sketch
pencil sketch
personal sketchbook
pen-ink sketch
woodcut
pen work
sketchbook drawing
sketchbook art
pencil art
Albrecht Altdorfer’s "Saint Jerome in a Cave" is a detailed engraving created sometime between 1480 and 1538. The artwork depicts Saint Jerome, a prominent figure in the early church, kneeling in prayer within a cavernous setting. His study is filled with books and a crucifix stands against a rock face. Altdorfer masterfully utilizes chiaroscuro, a technique using strong contrasts of light and dark, to create a dramatic atmosphere. The lion, a symbol of Jerome’s devotion, sits patiently at the foot of the saint, adding to the composition’s sense of tranquility and solitude.
Comments
In the late 1400s, Saint Jerome grew to have yet another symbol-a dead tree stump. In Albrecht Dürer's woodcut (P.231), it rests in the left foreground; in Albrecht Altdorfer's, the stump anchors the base of Jerome's crucifix. In these contexts, the stump represents the wood of the Cross, and its proximity to the saint implies mortal transience and spiritual salvation through Christ's sacrifice.
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