Terms and conditions of use
Saint Jerome
(Saint Jérome)
(c. 1632)
from Les Penitents (The Penitents) series
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1950
- Gallery location
- Not on display
About this work
In this engraving, Jacques Callot portrays St Jerome kneeling in a rocky landscape with a lion to his left. The saint is often depicted with a lion on account of a story from the Golden Legend, a thirteenth-century text that profoundly shaped Christian iconography. According to the tale, a limping lion entered the monastery where St Jerome lived. While other monks fled in fear, the saint calmly approached the beast and removed a thorn from its paw. The lion, tamed, remained by his side as a loyal companion.
Artwork Details
printed in ink (below image) l.c.: S. Hieronimus.
printed in ink (below image) l.r.: Cum Priui: / legio Regis.
Purchased, 1950
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of the Joe White Bequest