Who painted Saint Jerome in Penitence?

Saint Jerome in Penitence was painted by Unknown in 1490.

Where can I see Saint Jerome in Penitence?

Saint Jerome in Penitence is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Saint Jerome in Penitence?

Saint Jerome in Penitence is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

Saint Jerome in Penitence

Unknown , 1490

Saint Jerome in Penitence is a print by the Renaissance artist Unknown. It dates from 1490 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

The lion became his friend after he helped it, and the hat and book remind us he later translated the Bible.

A man kneels in a rocky desert, beating his chest with a stone while praying toward a small wooden cross. A lion sits nearby, and a cardinal’s hat rests on the ground beside an open book.

This painting shows Saint Jerome, who lived alone in the wilderness to suffer for his faith. The lion became his friend after he helped it, and the hat and book remind us he later translated the Bible. The skull at the cross is a quiet sign of death.

Look up paintings from Italy, Florence or northern Italy, 15th century to see more like this.

Overview

The print depicts Saint Jerome kneeling on a barren, rocky terrain, his hand pressing a stone against his chest as he prays toward a modest wooden cross. A lion rests close by, while a cardinal’s hat lies on the ground beside an open book. A solitary figure at the left edge suggests a wandering mendicant.

Subject & Meaning

Jerome is shown in the ascetic tradition of retreating to the desert near Antioch, where he pursued spiritual purification through bodily hardship. The stone‑beating gesture symbolizes penitence, while the cross and skull allude to Christ’s crucifixion and mortality. The lion recalls the legend of Jerome rescuing the animal from a thorn, and the hat and book reference his later role as the translator of the Latin Vulgate.

Technique & Style

Executed as a print, the work relies on stark contrasts of line and texture to convey the harshness of the landscape and the solemnity of the saint’s devotion. Fine hatching renders the lion’s fur and the craggy ground, while broader strokes define the cross and the surrounding foliage, creating a balanced composition that emphasizes both narrative detail and symbolic elements.

Context

The image belongs to a broader tradition of 15th‑century Italian devotional prints that visualized saints in isolated, contemplative settings. Such works were intended for private meditation, reinforcing the virtues of self‑denial and scholarly dedication embodied by Jerome, a figure revered for both his ascetic life and his scholarly contributions to the Church.