St Jerome in a Landscape

Saint Jerome in a Landscape, painted in 1515 and held in the Pérez Simón Collection, depicts the church father in his wilderness retreat, engaged in penitential meditation accompanied by his faithful lion. Jerome’s translation of the Bible into Latin made him a figure of special relevance during the Reformation, when Luther undertook his own monumental translation of scripture into German. Cranach’s treatment emphasizes the extensive landscape setting, demonstrating his skill in creating atmospheric natural environments. The Pérez Simón Collection, one of Mexico’s most important private art collections, holds this work as part of its representation of European old master painting from the Renaissance to the nineteenth century.

The panel shows Cranach's characteristic integration of devotional figure with richly observed landscape, using atmospheric effects and detailed vegetation to create a contemplative natural setting.