A successful artist himself, Jan Lievens was a close friend of Rembrandt’s. Together, they shared an art studio in Leiden in their early career (1625-1631), where the artists influenced and inspired one other. However, in 1631, they parted ways; Rembrandt settled in Amsterdam and Lievens left for England. Through the use of the dramatic tenebrism (dramatic dark chiaroscuro), this image showing the penitent Saint Jerome reflects the artist’s admiration for the Utrecht Caravaggisti. In its dramatic expression, the print closely resembles a woodcut - a technique Lievens had also practiced.
