A Devotional Image Depicting Saint Jerome

A devotional image depicting Saint Jerome, one of the four great Fathers of the Latin Church, absorbed in reading the Holy Scriptures.

The saint is depicted according to his traditional iconography, accompanied by a crucifix, a skull symbolizing meditation on death and the vanity of earthly things, books, and an inkwell. The Latin inscription “S. Hieronymus” is still partially visible in the lower margin.

This engraving is attributed to Cornelis Galle (1576–1650), a famous Flemish engraver based in Antwerp. Since the lower part of the image was previously cut off, the signature that would have appeared in the lower right corner is no longer visible. This attribution is nevertheless supported by the existence of a second devotional image from the same set, of similar dimensions, composition, and style, which bears the engraved signature “C. Galle” in the lower right corner.

Printed on vellum and delicately hand-colored, this devotional image is distinguished by the finesse of its engraving, the precision of its modeling, and the excellent preservation of its original colors.

An interesting devotional work intended for private worship, attesting to the quality of 17th-century Flemish religious art.