St. Jerome

The hermit saint and church father St Jerome appears to be leaning on a rock and is looking to the left. Under his hand is a skull, and under this, placed on a rock, is an open book. His left leg is raised and at an extreme angle, and his foot is resting on a rock. Two putti are visible at the upper right, two female figures at the upper left, and the lion at the bottom. The pose of the figure of St Jerome is reminiscent of the antique Barberini Faun.The clumsy style and composition of the present piece indicate however that it is a later fake, made in imitation of 17th-century Netherlandish ivories. Certain aspects of the sinuous figures and lack of perspective even recall art nouveau forms of the late 19th and early 20th century. The exact origin of the present piece is uncertain; it may have been carved in Brussels, Paris, or perhaps Germany.