Hieronymus Cock (Flemish, c. 1510-1570)
after Pieter Bruegel the elder (Flemish, 1525/30-1569)
Saint Jerome in the Desert
INV-6218
Hieronymus Cock (Flemish, c. 1510-1570)
after Pieter Bruegel the elder (Flemish, 1525/30-1569)c. 1553
Saint Jerome in the Desert
Hieronymus Cock (Flemish, c. 1510-1570) after Pieter Bruegel the elder (Flemish, 1525/30-1569) →etchingprint
Date
c. 1553
Medium
Etching and engraving on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
31.1 × 42.6 cm (12 1/4 × 16 13/16 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Joseph Brooks Fair Fund
Hieronymus Cock’s print of Saint Jerome depicts the saint during the five years that he spent in the desert, outside of civilization. Jerome valued austerity and was inspired by the ascetic monks he met during his travels. While living in the desert, he was tormented by visions of temptations produced by the devil, including phantoms of beautiful women, terrifying beasts, and piles of silver and gold.