Asta Bidspirit | Saint Jerome in Prayer, Italian

Saint Jerome in Prayer, Italian Bolognese school of the 17th C - The figure of Saint Jerome is very rich iconographically speaking, and widely represented in all styles of Christian art and possible techniques and formats. Of all of them, his stay in the cave of Bethlehem, writing in his study, or the episode of the scourging by the angels are mainly preferred. In this composition, with clear tenebrist features that connect with the Valencian school of Orrente, we can see accompanying a crucifix, the Bible and the skull at which the saint stares. Baroque painting and sculpture abound quite a bit on this iconographic theme. Finally, and to his left, the lion, which embodies the legend of the Saint's journey through the desert, in which it is said that, while the saint was next to the Jordan River, he saw a lion come towards him with a limp, because it had a thorn stuck in one of its legs. . Saint Jerome calmed him down, extracted the thorn and healed his leg. The lion was so pleased and grateful that he never left him again, but served him and when Jerónimo died he fell on his grave dying of hunger.