Saint Jerome Penitent in the Wilderness (copy) 1485 - 1600

Albrecht Durer’s Saint Jerome Penitent in the Wilderness, is a copy of an engraving by an unknown artist, made during the Northern Renaissance on a sheet of paper. In this image, we see the saint as a hermit, far removed from society. But the institutions of the church and the printing press are critical to how this image circulates. Durer worked in an environment profoundly impacted by the Reformation. The printing press enabled the rapid distribution of images and ideas, and artists became key players in shaping religious and political discourse. Here, Jerome is depicted in a detailed landscape. The setting evokes both the isolation of the hermit's life and the spiritual rewards found in nature. The figure of Saint Jerome was central to the church's teachings, and Durer’s image would have been interpreted within the religious and intellectual debates of the time. Understanding Durer's work requires attention to the religious climate, as well as the economic structures supporting artistic production. Art historians use a wide range of sources—theological texts, economic records, and contemporary accounts—to more fully interpret images like this.