Saint Jérôme Dans Son Cabinet D'étude 1435

Stefan Lochner painted Saint Jerome in His Study sometime in the mid-15th century. Here, Jerome is shown in his study, complete with a pet lion. At the time, the church was the ultimate authority, and the bible was only available in Latin. Jerome was commissioned to translate the bible into Latin, making the word of God more accessible to the masses. He was a scholar and a translator, who changed the course of history. Lochner captures Jerome’s world with its checkered floors, shelves full of objects, and light streaming in through Gothic windows. We see a man deeply immersed in his work. The halo is a symbolic representation of the divine wisdom and holiness that Jerome possessed. But look closer, and you see a moment of quiet contemplation. This work serves as a reminder that even the most intellectual and spiritual pursuits are grounded in a very human experience.