Saint Jerome in Penitence

Lucas Cranach the Elder’s hermit saint emerges into the open air. The coat of arms of Cranach’s Saxon patron takes pride of place on a tall tree, while the statue of Christ on the Cross merges with the trunk in the foreground. Jerome’s hut is visible amid the leafy vegetation in the background at left, nestled among trees and near a running brook. Jerome’s lion rests nearby, watching as the saint casts most of his vestments aside in his devotional ardor. Alone in magnificent nature, he can focus on simple spiritual truths.