Saint Jerome in Medieval Art

Reflections on Lion Iconography

Abstract

The depiction of the holy scholar in his study, now best known from Albrecht Dürer's engraving Hieronymus im Gehäus, 1514, was popular in the early modern period, but it was not the only image that brought Jerome closer to us. Based on evidence from medieval book illumination, the essay also presents other, less familiar motifs, such as Jerome surrounded by women or Jerome in women's clothing - a scene based on an intrigue -, as well as the lion episode, to name but a few. The saint's eventful life is reflected in original pictorial creations that have been handed down to us from throughout the Middle Ages and early modern period.