Cats in Art: St. Jerome Penitent in the Wilderness (Durer)

From my continuing weekly Sunday series of cats in art. I am using some ideas from the coffee table book, The Cat in Art, by Stefano Zuffi. This is the final of 3 posts on the art of Albrecht Durer.

Image credit Albrecht-Durer site,  St. Jerome Penitent in the Wilderness, Albrecht Durer, 1496, engraving on laid paper, 12" x 9", held by Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Here we see the same faithful very large kitty as last week, close by St. Jerome's side...though at that time he was just plain Jerome.  Here again is Jerome's letter that I used last week, that really belongs rightly here as is the inspiration for Durer to do this engraving:

In the remotest part of a wild and stony desert, burnt up with the heat of the scorching sun so that it frightens even the monks that inhabit it, I seemed to myself to be in the midst of the delights and crowds of Rome. In this exile and prison to which for the fear of hell I had voluntarily condemned myself, I many times imagined myself witnessing the dancing of the Roman maidens as if I had been in the midst of them: In my cold body and in my parched-up flesh, which seemed dead before its death, passion was able to live. Alone with this enemy, I threw myself in spirit at the feet of Jesus, watering them with my tears, and I tamed my flesh by fasting whole weeks. I am not ashamed to disclose my temptations, but I grieve that I am not now what I then was ("Letter to St. Eustochium")

This scene of Jerome struggling with his faith with his demons makes me wonder what the lion is thinking right about now.  Probably something like "Human stuff.  I'll just curl up here awhile until he's done."

Cats in Art: St. Jerome in His Study (Durer)

From my continuing weekly Sunday series of cats in art. I am using some ideas from the coffee table book, The Cat in Art, by Stefano Zuffi.  This is the 2nd of 3 posts on the art of Albrecht Durer.

Image credit Albrecht-Durer site, St. Jerome in His Study, 1514, engraving, 10" x 7", held by Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University, New York.

First, a word about St. Jerome, who I never heard of before (or should that be whom....grammar was never my strong suit?).  There are any number of biographical pieces on him that are long and boring, but here's a snippet that I liked (you should check out the whole thing):

Most of the saints are remembered for some outstanding virtue or devotion which they practiced, but Jerome is frequently remembered for his bad temper! It is true that he had a very bad temper and could use a vitriolic pen, but his love for God and his Son Jesus Christ was extraordinarily intense; anyone who taught error was an enemy of God and truth, and St. Jerome went after him or her with his mighty and sometimes sarcastic pen.

Oh, and by the way, St. Jerome is the patron saint of librarians. 

Back to the image: as we saw last week, another tiny engraving with incredible detail, and in this one as in last week's image, the kitty is again quite prominent.  The kitty, of course, being a lion.  Seems that back in the day, lions roamed the Middle East, and St. Jerome traveled extensively in Palestine, and in fact spent some soul-searching time alone in the backcountry, writing the following letter:

In the remotest part of a wild and stony desert, burnt up with the heat of the scorching sun so that it frightens even the monks that inhabit it, I seemed to myself to be in the midst of the delights and crowds of Rome. In this exile and prison to which for the fear of hell I had voluntarily condemned myself, I many times imagined myself witnessing the dancing of the Roman maidens as if I had been in the midst of them: In my cold body and in my parched-up flesh, which seemed dead before its death, passion was able to live. Alone with this enemy, I threw myself in spirit at the feet of Jesus, watering them with my tears, and I tamed my flesh by fasting whole weeks. I am not ashamed to disclose my temptations, but I grieve that I am not now what I then was ("Letter to St. Eustochium").

Anyway, you gotta like a guy associated with librarians, who kept a lion in his study, and loved the backcountry as we do.

Cats in Art: Adam and Eve (Durer)

From my continuing weekly Sunday series of cats in art. I am using some ideas from the coffee table book, The Cat in Art, by Stefano Zuffi.  

First, the full size work (though, pay close attention to what size it really is...see below):

And next a detailed close up of the kitty and mouse at the bottom center:

Image credits Metropolitan Museum, Adam and Eve, Albrecht Durer, 1504, engraving on copper, 10" x 7", held by the Metropolitan Museum, New York.

Zuffi's comment?

We are looking at one of the most complex masterpieces of the engraver's art, in which this great German artist brings together highly advanced research on the male and female anatomy...The big cat is the symbolic representation of the choleric temperament: with its half-closed eyes and relaxed pose, it seems lazy, indolent, and indifferent.  However, if we look closely we discover that it may be keeping an eye on a little mouse, whose tail has gotten caught under Adam's foot.  At the right moment the cat will suddenly pounce, leaving its hapless prey no escape.  Thus, at the moment of Original Sin, the Garden of Eden is enhanced by an additional dramatic dimension.

My take?  When Zuffi uses the words "lazy, indolent, and indifferent," I just say, "Duh.  That's a cat for you."

Also, did you note the dimensions of this engraving?  It is a mere 10" tall by 7" wide, and packed with incredible detail.  The cat itself is only about 3" in length.

I cannot imagine the meticulous work that must have gone into this piece.  The etching lines are incredibly tiny and compact.  This is an item that would truly have to be seen in person to fully appreciate (so I guess that means a research trip to NYC?).