Caravaggio’s Saint Jerome Vulgate Writing shows the scholar at work, dressed in red, with a skull resting nearby — familiar symbols in depictions of saints. But this painting stands out for its stark realism and quiet intensity. More than just a religious image, it offers a glimpse into the discipline and solitude behind Jerome’s translation of the Bible, capturing both the intellectual effort and the sense of reflection that defined his life.

Saint Jerome * Vulgate * Caravaggio | 聖ヒエロニムス * ウルガタ * カラヴァッジョ | 圣杰罗姆 * 武加大译本 * 卡拉瓦乔 | 성 히에로니무스 * 불가타 * 카라바조 | San Jerónimo * Vulgata * Caravaggio | Saint Jérôme * Vulgate * Caravaggio | Heiliger Hieronymus * Vulgata * Caravaggio | Święty Hieronim * Wulgata * Caravaggio

When you’re not an art historian and only occasionally find yourself in a distinguished art gallery, it’s difficult to truly understand what you’re looking at without a guide. Often, even if you read the descriptions beneath the paintings, the information you receive typically explains what you can already see, but it doesn’t tell you much about the artist – besides the name and dates. A thorough analysis of every beautiful piece is challenging, especially since the most renowned galleries in Europe are often packed with visitors. Fortunately, you can take photos of the pieces that particularly catch your eye and later, in the comfort of your home, delve deeper by researching them online. Today, I’ll share a painting I saw at the Borghese Gallery in Rome. I’ve already written several posts about this gallery, so I’ll skip discussing it in detail here.

The painting captivated me with its simplicity – both in terms of its subject matter and the way it was executed. The straightforward play of light and shadow, combined with the masterful yet simple brushstrokes, created an extraordinary effect. Some art historians even argue that the piece was never completed. I felt as though I was looking at an ultra-high-resolution photograph. This artwork was created by one of the most distinguished painters of his era, known by the pseudonym Caravaggio. The painting is titled Saint Jerome in His Study or alternatively Saint Jerome Writing.

It portrays Saint Jerome, the renowned Christian scholar, theologian, and translator of the Bible into Latin, dressed in a red robe, deeply engrossed in his work and nearby on the table a naked skull. Below, a commentary about the figure depicted, his life’s work, and the artist himself. 

Saint Jerome in his study, a painting by Caravaggio at the Borghese Gallery in Rome

Saint Jerome * Vulgate * Caravaggio | 聖ヒエロニムス * ウルガタ * カラヴァッジョ | 圣杰罗姆 * 武加大译本 * 卡拉瓦乔 | 성 히에로니무스 * 불가타 * 카라바조 | San Jerónimo * Vulgata * Caravaggio | Saint Jérôme * Vulgate * Caravaggio | Heiliger Hieronymus * Vulgata * Caravaggio | Święty Hieronim * Wulgata * Caravaggio

About Saint Jerome

Saint Jerome (c. 347-420 AD) was a Christian scholar, theologian, and one of the most influential figures in the early Church. He is best known for his translation of the Bible into Latin, known as the Vulgate, which served as the Catholic Church’s official biblical text for many centuries. 

Born as Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus in Stridon – a village near the border of what is now Croatia and Slovenia – Jerome came from an affluent Christian family, which allowed him to receive an extensive education in Rome. There, he became fluent in Latin and gained a deep understanding of classical literature and philosophy. Jerome lived in a time when Christians enjoyed legal protections and greater societal acceptance, following Emperor Constantine’s Edict of Milan in 313 AD, which legalised Christianity. He was baptised in Rome around 360 AD and soon committed himself to an ascetic lifestyle. Although Jerome had multiple names, he eventually became known by his simplified third name in Latin – Hieronymus. The form Saint Jerome only solidified in Western European languages later on, reflecting his status as a saint and theologian.

Jerome spent several years as a hermit in the Syrian desert, practising austerity and studying Hebrew – an uncommon pursuit for Christian scholars of his era. Although he was ordained as a priest, he continued to lead a monastic life, moving between locations such as Antioch, Constantinople, and eventually settling in Bethlehem. In 382 AD, at the request of Pope Damasus I, Jerome began translating the Bible into Latin. His work involved revising existing Latin texts and translating the Old Testament directly from Hebrew rather than relying on the Greek Septuagint, which resulted in a more precise translation. This version, known as the Vulgate remains a significant biblical text to this day. In addition to his translation work, Jerome was a prolific writer, producing numerous commentaries on biblical books, letters, and polemical works against the heresies of his time. He is recognised as one of the four Latin Doctors of the Church, alongside Augustine, Ambrose, and Gregory the Great.

About symbolism

Saint Jerome is often depicted with symbols such as a lion (based on a popular legend), a skull (symbolising mortality), and a red robe (often mistakenly thought to indicate his status as a cardinal, although this is a common misconception found online).

As for the legend of the lion, which is not historically confirmed, it tells the story of how Saint Jerome showed mercy by rescuing an injured lion. According to the tale, one day a lion entered the monastery where Jerome was staying, limping on one paw. The other monks were terrified, but Jerome approached the animal, noticed a thorn stuck in its paw, and removed it. In gratitude, the lion remained at the monastery, becoming the saint’s loyal companion and even guarding the monastery’s donkey.

Regarding the skull, its image in Christian art, literature, and iconography serves as a reminder that earthly life is just a temporary stage and that every person must confront the inevitability of death. In Christian tradition and sacred art, the skull acts as a memento mori (from Latin, remember that you will die), encouraging reflection on life’s fragility and preparation for the afterlife.

As for the red robe reference, in practice, Saint Jerome was never a cardinal. He lived during a time when the office of cardinal did not exist in its current form, as it only became formally established several centuries later. The red robe he is often depicted wearing symbolises his status as a distinguished scholar of the Church.

About Vulgata

Now, a few words about Saint Jerome’s magnum opus. The term Biblia Vulgata is derived from the word vulgata, meaning commonly used, as the text was intended to serve as an accessible version of the Bible for the faithful across Western Christendom. Saint Jerome’s primary challenge was to create a translation based directly on the original biblical languages rather than relying on earlier translations, which was a common practice at the time. The earlier Latin translations of the Bible (known as Vetus Latina) were inconsistent and largely based on the Greek Septuagint, which itself was a translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek.

Jerome sought greater fidelity to the original texts, and to achieve this, he undertook the translation of the Old Testament directly from Hebrew, a pioneering approach in his era. He believed that relying on the Greek Septuagint introduced errors and distortions due to the multiple layers of translation, which affected the accuracy of the text. Translating directly from Hebrew into Latin presented significant challenges due to the substantial grammatical, syntactic, and semantic differences between the two languages. Hebrew has a completely different structure compared to Latin, often forcing Jerome to make difficult interpretive decisions. Initially, Jerome’s efforts raised various concerns and criticisms, particularly from those who considered the Septuagint an authoritative text. However, these debates are best left to literary scholars for further exploration. Despite early controversies, the Vulgate quickly gained recognition and more than 1000 years later, in 1546, was declared the authoritative biblical text of the Catholic Church at the Council of Trent. An important development occurred after the following 500 years in the 1980s when a revised and corrected version of the Vulgate was produced, known as the Nova Vulgata. This modern version was created to align the text with contemporary philological standards and to address the inaccuracies that had accumulated in the Vulgate over centuries. It incorporates corrections consistent with the original languages of the Bible and represents a refined and authoritative Latin version for use in the Church today.

About Caravaggio

Caravaggio, born Michelangelo Merisi (1571–1610), was an Italian painter. He grew up amid poverty and hardship after losing his father and grandfather to the plague when he was six. After his initial training in Milan under Simone Peterzano, Caravaggio moved to Rome at 21, where he gained fame for his dramatic use of chiaroscuro (the interplay of light and shadow) and intense realism. His paintings stood out for their vivid detail and emotional depth.

Caravaggio’s early works in Rome were commissioned by churches and private collectors like Cardinal Scipione Borghese. They are characterised by clear, dramatic lighting, which he used to enhance the emotional impact and dramatic tension of his scenes. The subjects varied from biblical narratives to portraits and allegorical representations. His Saint Jerome Writing was commissioned just before he fled Rome in 1606 after killing Ranuccio Tomassoni in a duel, an event that led to a death sentence and forced him into exile. A bounty was placed on his head, effectively allowing anyone to kill him with impunity. His later works, painted during his time in Naples, Malta, and Sicily, became darker and more introspective, reflecting themes of suffering, death, and penance. A prime example is David with the Head of Goliath, in which Caravaggio used his selfportrait for the severed head of Goliath.

Although his art fell out of favour in the 18th century for being too raw and unrefined, Caravaggio’s work was rediscovered in the 20th century and is now considered a cornerstone of modern painting. Today, his paintings can be found in prominent collections, with the Galleria Borghese in Rome holding six of his masterpieces.