Saint Jerome exctracting a Thorn from the Lion's Foot (copy)

The print Saint Jerome exctracting a Thorn from the Lion's Foot (copy), attributed to Albrecht Dürer, is a woodcut dating from approximately 1485 to 1600. Although classified as a copy after a Dürer design, this image reflects the profound influence of the German master’s compositions and approach to graphic arts during the late Renaissance and early modern periods. The medium of the woodcut allowed for the high-volume production of images, disseminating popular religious narratives and iconography widely throughout Europe.

The work illustrates the popular legend of Saint Jerome, the scholar and church father known for translating the Bible into the Latin Vulgate. The scene captures the intimate moment of the extraction of the thorn from the foot of a wild lion, an act of compassion that resulted in the animal becoming the saint’s loyal companion. The scholarly aspect of the subject is underscored by the presence of numerous books, referencing Jerome’s dedication to textual study and contrasting his quiet contemplation with the presence of the large cat.

Dürer was a crucial figure in the elevation of prints as an independent art form, and the existence of copies, such as this particular woodcut, speaks to the immense demand for his designs and the widespread replication of his masterworks across the continent. While details concerning the specific origins of this copy are studied alongside the original design, this surviving piece serves as a valuable record of early Renaissance iconographic traditions. This print is housed within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, preserving a key example of historical reproductive printmaking.