Father's painting?


In the father's study there is a painting of a writing philosopher(?) with a lion lurking in the shadows on his right side, and his left hand indicating a skull. Does anyone know what this painting is or what person it is meant to represent?
I found it slightly familiar, resembling the work of a Golden Age painter whose name I've forgotten.

reply

A hermit in a cave with a lion, that often stands for Saint Hyeronimus, the translator of the Bible into Latin.

The lion is also the symbol of Mark the Evangelist.

reply

Interesting. I missed that, but only had an old VHS version in which the light was really bad (but the movie was still amazing). I'll have to get the DVD, and watch it again. What a beautiful film!

reply