Saint Jerome in Penitence, in a Cave 1500 - 1538

Albrecht Altdorfer created this engraving of Saint Jerome in Penitence, in a Cave, sometime in the early sixteenth century. Here, Altdorfer represents Jerome in his later years as a Christian hermit, kneeling in prayer before a crucifix, his loyal lion by his side in the cave. This depiction of Saint Jerome reflects the religious and intellectual climate of the time in the Holy Roman Empire. Altdorfer, who spent his career in Regensburg, was in contact with humanist circles that sought a more personal, direct experience of the divine, which in turn shaped their reading of scripture. Jerome, who translated the Bible into Latin, became a central figure in the debates about the authority of religious texts. This engraving reflects the renewed interest in Jerome's life and work during a time of religious and social transformation. Art historians rely on various textual and visual sources to contextualize the work. These help us to understand the complex interplay of art, religion, and society in the Northern Renaissance.