St. Jerome Bringing the Lion into the Convent

Lazzaro Bastiani

Download hi-res image TITLE St. Jerome Bringing the Lion into the Convent
AUTHOR Lazzaro Bastiani
DATE c. 1485
OBJECT TYPE AND MATERIAL Tempera on panel
DIMENSIONS cm 25 x 152
INVENTORY 1219
ROOM VI
Work on display

This predella represents three scenes from the life of St. Jerome. The first shows the saint removing a thorn from the foot of the lion, here shown huge, set in an Egypt that looks curiously Venetian despite the palm trees. Then he is living in a cave contemplating a Crucifix with an oddly realistic body. The last scene is his funeral, showing how this ceremony took place in the 15th century, candles placed at the end of the body, and of course, the lion suffering for the death of his master.