Saint Jerome in His Study
- Artist: Hendrick van, the younger Steenwijck (Artists)ca.(Life dates)
- Date: 1624
- Medium: oil on panel
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the "Saint Jerome in His Study" by Hendrick van, the younger Steenwijck. Created in 1624, this oil on panel is a compact, intimate scene that captures the saint deep in the act of translating the Bible into Latin. The artist uses a meticulous perspective grid to build a maze‑like interior that guides the eye through books, a desk, and the faithful lion at Jerome’s side, injecting a lively dynamic into the composition.
Steenwijck had recently moved from the Netherlands to London, and that cultural shift is evident in the careful English sensibility of the light and space. The painting bears the artist’s signature and the date on the front step, a small but deliberate touch that hints at its intended use. Likely commissioned for an English aristocrat, it would have been kept in a picture cabinet, a precious object meant to be handled and examined up close. The scale of the work invites a close look, revealing the fine brushwork and subtle details that would have delighted a discerning viewer in the early 17th century.
See it in person
Saint Jerome in His Study hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
