Saint Jerome in the wilderness - Follower of Joachim Patinir

FOLLOWER OF JOACHIM PATINIR
c. 1480 - 1524
Saint Jerome in the wilderness
Oil on panel
Dimensions: 27 x 35 cm, 40 x 48 cm

THE ARTIST
This refined panel is the work of a Flemish artist active in the circle of Joachim Patinir, one of the great innovators of early landscape painting in the Low Countries. Patinir, active in Antwerp in the early 16th century, was among the first to conceive of the “world landscape”—vast panoramic vistas combining religious narrative with natural grandeur.
Artists from his circle continued this tradition, producing contemplative compositions where figures are small and the landscape dominates, serving as a metaphor for the divine order of creation. These painters shared Patinir’s distinctive palette of cool blues and greens, his love for craggy rocks, winding rivers, and distant towns, and his ability to merge spiritual symbolism with natural observation.

THE ARTWORK
This painting depicts Saint Jerome in the Wilderness, a subject frequently treated by Patinir and his followers. The saint kneels in penitence before a crucifix, striking his breast with a stone, while his faithful lion rests beside him. His cardinal’s hat and robe, hanging from a tree, symbolize his renunciation of worldly honors in favor of a life of contemplation.
Behind the figure unfolds a sweeping Flemish landscape: a patchwork of verdant hills, tranquil rivers, and distant cities receding into a luminous sky. The detailed rendering of the natural world, balanced with the quiet piety of the saint, captures the essence of the Patinirean world landscape—a vision in which humanity and nature coexist in spiritual harmony.

St. Jerome, also known as Jerome of Stridon, was an early Christian priest and theologian. He is best known for his translation of the Bible into Latin and his commentaries on the whole Bible. Although at first he was afraid of Christianity, he eventually converted. He wanted to live a life of ascetic penance, thus he went to the desert of Chalcis. During this period he found time for studying and writing. He is recognized as the patron saint of translators, librarians and encyclopedists. Jerome is also often depicted with a lion, in reference to the popular hagiographical belief that Jerome once tamed a lion in the wild.