It's Lent and so I wanted to find some artworks on a penitential theme. One possibility would be St. Jerome in the Desert, which a number of artists have painted. My attention has been temporarily turned away from that subject, however.
According to legend, while St. Jerome was in the desert, a lion came to him for help. The lion had somehow gotten a thorn in his paw, which pained him very much. It would have been logical for St. Jerome to be afraid of the lion. He overcame his fear, however, in order to help the poor animal by removing the thorn from his paw.
The scene in which Jerome removes the thorn has been painted quite often. In looking over those works, I found myself comforted by the sight of such a kind act. Given the bereavement which my family has recently undergone, I feel that we are much more in need of kindness and comfort than we are of penitence. (Others may differ!) I therefore hope to post links to paintings of this scene in the next few days.
Here are three works in which the lion holds out the injured paw, imploring Jerome for help. Some artists place this scene in the saint's study while others, in keeping with the legend, set it in the desert:
St. Jerome in His Study, c. 1420, by Lorenzo Monaco; St. Jerome in the Desert, c. 1450, by Giovanni Bellini St. Jerome in His Study, c. 1483, by Michael Pacher
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