Saint Jerome in His Study
Albrecht Dürer
Description
March 28, 2009
One of the great triumphs in the history of printmaking, this work displays a stunning range of light and textures that fill the meticulously rendered interior. Saint Jerome (331–420), who made the authoritative Latin translation of the Bible, sits with pen in hand and hunched over his desk at the back of the room. Some objects reveal Jerome’s fiery asceticism: the skull on the window ledge, the small crucifix on the corner of the desk, the hourglass on the back wall. But these reminders of transience, death, and transcendental concerns are dispersed among everyday items: a pair of scissors hanging on the back wall, the finely worked legs of the desk, or the pair of shoes under the bench. A dozing dog and drowsy lion stretch across the entrance to the room and embody the sense of domestic tranquility. Jerome, however, remains immersed in his task, oblivious to the comforts surrounding him.
Subject Matter:
Saint Jerome (331–420), who made the authoritative Latin translation of the Bible, sits hunched over his desk at the back of a room with pen in hand. Around the room we find evidence of Jerome’s fiery asceticism: the skull on the window ledge, the small crucifix on the corner of the desk, the hourglass on the back wall. But these reminders of transience, death, and transcendental concerns are dispersed among objects rooted in the everyday: a pair of scissors hanging on the back wall, the finely worked legs of the desk, or the pair of shoes sitting under the bench. The napping dog and drowsy lion stretch across the entrance to the room and embody the sense of domestic tranquility that pervades the scene. Jerome, however, remains immersed in his task, oblivious to the comforts surrounding him.
Physical Description:
This engraving depicts a comfortable domestic interior. An old bearded man sits poring over a book at table in the back of the room. A lion and dog rest on the floor in the foreground. Various other objects appear around the room, including a skull, books, slippers, a crucifix, and a pair of scissors.
Usage Rights:
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