Saint Jerome in the Wilderness
(5000-1693)

For four years, Saint Jerome retreated to the desert, where he purified his soul through physical suffering. The bearded saint sits in front of a barren and rocky background, his emaciated body a testament to his ascetic life. He directs his gaze to a crucifix that he holds in his left hand. During his time of religious contemplation, Saint Jerome was tormented by vivid hallucinations; his right hand clasps a rock with which he would beat his breast until the visions passed. A nook in the vaulted structure behind him holds his attributes: a cardinal's hat and a book referring to his translation of the Bible into Latin. A small lion inside the shelter recalls the fable in which Jerome pulls a thorn from a lion's paw, forever securing the animal's devotion. Ercole de'Roberti was artist to the court of Ferrara in northern Italy. The elongated forms, taut, linear rhythms, subtle colors, and meticulous, gold-flecked details of this painting convey the sophistication prized by Ercole's aristocratic patrons. This small devotional painting demands a focused concentration from the viewer that echoes Jerome's efforts to come closer to God.

Tempera on panel (about 1470)

by Ercole de'Roberti (Italian, about 1450-1496)