Unknown
(Flemish, 15th century)
Saint Jerome
1468-1500
wood
15.5 x 5.5 x 3.5 in
39.37 x 13.97 x 8.89 cm
Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund
64.33
This wooden sculpture presents Saint Jerome in ecclesiastical garb with a tame lion at his feet. The 4th-century saint is best remembered as the author of the Vulgate Bible, a Latin translation of Hebrew and Greek scriptures. Among his other accomplishments, Jerome received the title of cardinal at age twenty-nine; he is usually portrayed in traditional cardinal’s dress. He is also often accompanied by a lion because he allegedly removed a thorn from a ferocious lion’s paw, and, in response, the beast devoted its life to the service of Jerome’s monastery.
JS