Peter van Mol (1599-1650) - attributed to, Saint Gerome in his Study

St Jerome is sitting at his desk facing the viewer, studying the Holy Scriptures on a lectern to which he is turned and writing in an open book. His old, gaunt body is clad in a red cloak. On the right are piles of books on which the saint has placed his cardinal's hat; on the shelf to the side are many more books, in front of which stands a wooden crucifix. At the front right is an hourglass on the table and a skull. These are the symbols of transience that often accompany Jerome. Jerome is famous for his translation of the Bible into Latin, the so-called Vulgate. In the picture, he is writing verse 120 of Psalm 118 (119) in Latin in the book: Confige timore tuo carnes meas; a judiciis enim tuis timui (‘My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws.’) In the codex, the Last Judgement is appropriately depicted as a book illumination; Christ can be seen as judge between Mary and John the Baptist, who are pleading for mercy for the resurrected human race. At the top left, the trumpet announces the beginning of the Last Judgement. St Jerome is reported to have heard the trumpets of the Last Judgement in a vision. The saint's face, marked by age and asceticism, is emphasised by the lighting. The learned saint gazes intently at the words of the Holy Scriptures in order to translate them into Latin. Oil on canvas, 172.5 × 135 cm