Saint Jerome Extracting a Thorn from the Lion's Foot, Lyons 1508 (copy)

The print Saint Jerome Extracting a Thorn from the Lion's Foot, Lyons 1508 (copy) by Albrecht Dürer is a key example of the widespread influence of German Renaissance graphic arts across Europe. Executed in the challenging medium of woodcut, the composition focuses on the legendary moment where the revered Church Father, Saint Jerome, performs an act of veterinary kindness, earning the eternal loyalty of a wounded lion. This episode, though apocryphal, became a defining aspect of the saint’s iconography.

Dürer's original graphic works revolutionized printmaking in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, establishing him as a master draftsman capable of translating complex compositions into the medium of wood. Because of their commercial success and widespread distribution, Dürer’s designs were often replicated by other printmakers across the continent. This particular version, dating to 1508 and likely produced in Lyons, France, demonstrates the rapid adoption and dissemination of the master's style and popular religious subject matter, specifically the depiction of saints and animals.

The enduring popularity of the narrative is reflected in the technical quality of the surviving prints. The composition meticulously details the figure of Saint Jerome alongside the wounded creature, emphasizing the intimate connection between the scholar and the beast, often shown curled submissively at his feet. This specific woodcut resides within the comprehensive collection of prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, providing insight into the reproductive print culture of the early Renaissance. Such historical pieces, which fall into the public domain, continue to influence artists and scholars today.