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St. Jerome in His Study

Albrecht Dürer · 1514

An engraving by Dürer depicting Saint Jerome absorbed in scholarly work in a sunlit study, showing Dürer's mastery of perspective and light.

Dürer engraved this master print, showing his technical skill and interest in contemplative, scholarly life.

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Engraving of St. Jerome seated at a table in a sunlit study with a halo, writing. A sleeping lion lies on the floor, a small dog sleeps nearby, a skull sits on a window ledge, and an hourglass and hat hang on the wall.
Albrecht Dürer, St. Jerome in His Study, 1514. National Gallery Prague.

About this source

What it is

This is an engraving made by Albrecht Dürer in 1514, now held by the National Gallery Prague. It is the third of his three Meisterstiche, or master prints.

Why it matters

The print shows Saint Jerome seated at a desk, deeply absorbed in his scholarly work, with a lion and sleeping dog nearby and a skull and hourglass as reminders of mortality. Scholars have viewed it, together with Melencolia I and Knight, Death and the Devil, as representing the contemplative, intellectual and active spheres of life recognized in medieval thought. The careful, intimate perspective shows Dürer's technical mastery and his interest in how light and space could create mood.

Look closer

  • What details in the room suggest that Jerome is a scholar absorbed in quiet work?
  • Why might Dürer have placed the crucifix, skull and hourglass where he did?
  • How does the light in the room affect the feeling of the whole scene?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Albrecht Dürer on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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