How does St Jerome in His Study (Antonello da Messina) elucidate its Symbolism?
Antonello uses many symbols throughout the painting. The book St. Jerome is reading represents knowledge. The books surrounding him refer to his translation of the Bible into Latin. The lion in the shadows to the right of the saint is from a story about St. Jerome pulling a thorn out of a lion's paws. In gratitude, the lion follows St. Jerome around for the rest of his life, like a house cat. The peacock and partridge play no specific part in the story of St. Jerome. However, the peacock generally symbolizes immortality, and the partridge is an ambivalent reference to truth/deceit.
St. Jerome Latin Jerome Antonello