signed and dated ‘Rembrandt/ f. 1635’ (in the plate)
etching
11.6 x 8.1 cm
Bartsch 102; Hollstein 140; The New Hollstein 142, first state (of two) [1]
A very fine impression, the sheet is trimmed just on or just inside the platemark, there are some tiny foxmarks (one just left of Saint Jerome’s head) which are mostly visible verso, the sheet is in otherwise good condition

Provenance:
Cabinet des Estampes du Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, Geneve (not in Lugt).
Collection Van de Graaff, The Netherlands.

This fine first state impression of Saint Jerome kneeling in prayer, looking down, etched in 1635, shows Saint Jerome with his attribute, a lion, right behind him. According to legend, Saint Jerome removed a thorn from the lion’s paw, after which the animal remained with him in the desert for the rest of his life. Rembrandt was clearly fascinated by the story of Saint Jerome; he produced no fewer than seven etchings of the subject. Whereas in most of these prints he emphasised the saint’s scholarly character, here he presents him in a more austere and contemplative manner. The emphasis is not on his learning; rather, Rembrandt highlights the Saint’s devout and penitential qualities. The print thus dwells on the spiritual and emotional dimensions of Saint Jerome, rather than on his erudition or on the narrative of the thorn removed from the lion’s paw.

[1] E. Hinterding and J. Rutgers, The New Hollstein. Dutch & Flemish Etchings, Engravings and
Woodcuts, 1450-1700. Rembrandt, Text I, 1625-1635 Ouderkerk aan den IJssel, 2013, pp. 229-230.
[2] See E. Hinterding, Rembrandt Etchings from the Frits Lugt Collection. Volume I (text), Bussum, 2008, nos. 84-89, ill., Volume II (plates), 96-101.