St Jerome in a dark chambre

Rembrandt was undoubtedly acquainted with the traditional subject depicting Saint Jerome in contemplation from Dürer’s famed engraving. Rembrandt, however, approached the theme in a wholly innovative manner. Using light and dark areas, he created an atmosphere imbued with serenity and concentrated spirituality. The light entering the dark room plays a decisive role, having a symbolic function, as do the rising spiral stairs.