Saint Jerome in the Desert

1548·Etching and engraving on ivory laid paper·31.1 × 42.6 cm (12 1/4 × 16 13/16 in.)

<p>Hieronymus Cock’s print of Saint Jerome depicts the saint during the five years that he spent in the desert, outside of civilization. Jerome valued austerity and was inspired by the ascetic monks he met during his travels. While living in the desert, he was tormented by visions of temptations produced by the devil, including phantoms of beautiful women, terrifying beasts, and piles of silver and gold.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1548
Medium: Etching and engraving on ivory laid paper
Dimensions: 31.1 × 42.6 cm (12 1/4 × 16 13/16 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Hieronymus Cock

Artist

Hieronymus Cock

Printmaking

Hieronymus Cock was a Southern Netherlandish printmaker and publisher who founded one of the most influential print workshops in sixteenth-century Antwerp. He produced engravings and etchings after works by contemporary and historical masters, establishing the reproductive print as a commercial and artistic enterprise. His workshop disseminated Italian Renaissance compositions across Northern Europe, making him a crucial conduit between Italian and Flemish artistic traditions. Cock also commissioned original designs from artists including Pieter Bruegel the Elder, whose prints he published and distributed throughout his career.

Antwerp

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