Saint Jerome and the Lion (From the former Church of St. Peter in Erfurt)

Date: c. 1495
Medium: alabaster, traces of polychromy
Dimensions: Overall: 37.8 x 28.1 x 15.9 cm (14 7/8 x 11 1/16 x 6 1/4 in.)
Country / context: Germany
Movement / tradition: European and American art
Collection: The Cleveland Museum of Art
Attribution / role: Museum attribution
Pathway: European and American art ↗

FROM THE MUSEUM

This statue shows an important moment from a story about Saint Jerome. One day Jerome encountered a hurt lion. He removed a thorn from its paw, and the grateful animal became Jerome’s lifelong companion. This sculpture is made of alabaster, a soft stone suited for carving fine detail. Look closely! You can see flecks of paint and gold from when it was originally painted. Conservators looked at this sculpture under a microscope and found that the lion once had a red mouth, yellow fur, and black claws.

Collection text · The Cleveland Museum of Art · CC0

Place in the artist’s career

Compare the earlier alabaster Saint Jerome with Saint Lawrence and Saint Stephen, both dated 1502–8. Follow carved folds, gestures and the relationship between pale stone, carved wood, surviving colour and gilding. The latter pair belongs to a shared commission context, not separate late-career phases. Present-day surface colour cannot by itself establish the original appearance.