Saint Jerome exctracting a Thorn from the Lion's Foot (copy) 1485 - 1600

This is Albrecht Dürer’s ‘Saint Jerome Extracting a Thorn from the Lion’s Foot’ made using woodcut, a technique that favors strong lines and graphic contrast. The composition is carefully organized within a confined space where linear patterns predominate. The figure of Saint Jerome is centrally placed, with the lion at his feet. The whole is surrounded by architectural features and scholarly objects to create an intricate pattern. The image's visual structure is rich in symbolic tension. The contrast between the wildness of the lion and the domesticity of the interior, filled with books, speaks to the narrative of civilization taming nature through knowledge. Dürer employs line not just descriptively but also to create mood, with dense hatching conveying depth and shadow. The print invites us to reflect on the relationship between humanity, divinity, and the natural world, challenging us to find harmony amidst such stark contrasts.