Saint Jerome in His Cell

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Artist Albrecht Dürer (German, May 21, 1471–April 6, 1528)

Title Saint Jerome in His Cell (Der heilige Hieronymus in der Zelle)

Date 1511

Medium Woodcut on paper

Dimensions Image: 9 1/4 x 6 3/16 in. (23.5 x 15.7 cm)
Sheet: 9 7/16 x 6 7/16 in. (24 x 16.4 cm)

Credit Line William H. Conroy Memorial, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 73.25.2

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About this Work

This lesser-known woodcut of Saint Jerome preceded Dürer’s more famous master engraving of the saint by three years. Although the basic subject matter is much the same, the woodcut strikes a mood more earthbound than ethereal. Jerome appears in firm command of his surroundings, not yet pressed by the passage of time. He stands as he leans over his podium rather than sitting as pinned behind a large desk. Nor is his head crowned by a radiant nimbus of light, but merely a growing bald spot surrounded by wispy curls of hair. Only the presence of his faithful accomplice, the lion, suggests a backstory more miraculous than the mundane.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

Publisher Albrecht Dürer (German, May 21, 1471–April 6, 1528)

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"Saint Jerome in His Cell | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=73.25.2