Leonardo da Vinci St.Jerome in the Wilderness, 1480

One of da Vinci's unfinished works, St. Jerome in the Wilderness displays his mastery of human anatomy as well as emotion. In 1480, according to his diaries, da Vinci was plagued by sorrow and depression. This corresponds well with St. Jerome's emotion in his face and body language,  as if he is in search of something. St. Jerome stares at a faint crucifix and holds a rock in the other hand. His life as a hermit living in a Syrian desert is accompanied by a lion who became his companion after he removed a thorn from the lion's paw.

This painting had been separated into two pieces and Cardinal Fesch was said to have found the pieces and brought them back together before selling the work to Pope Pius IX. Now the unfinished da Vinci hangs comfortably in the Vatican. The dark cave and rather bare background highlights the isolated and lonely life of St. Jerome and his lion. Da Vinci's drapery around the body of St. Jerome accentuates the pure form of the human body that da Vinci studied. Even though this work may be unfinished,  the work displays da Vinci's clear mastery of the human form and his wonderful ability to craft a dramatic scene.