De heilige Hieronymus 1513

Lucas van Leyden created this engraving of Saint Jerome in the Netherlands, around 1513. The print depicts Saint Jerome, a key figure in the Catholic Church, in a moment of scholarly contemplation. Notice how the lion at his side is more than just an exotic attribute. It signifies the saint's legendary act of removing a thorn from the animal's paw. This image would have resonated deeply in a society grappling with religious reform. Jerome was the translator of the Vulgate Bible, an authoritative text hotly debated during the Reformation. So the act of studying and interpreting scripture here carries considerable weight. Engravings like this were easily reproduced, thus circulating ideas in a way that hadn't been possible before. By examining such works, we can begin to trace the religious and intellectual shifts of the time. Historical archives and theological texts are indispensable in piecing together the cultural meaning of art.