Saint Jerome in a cardinal's hat and the meaning of his books in a work by Giorgio Schiavone

Saint Jerome with a cardinal's galero (the name of the hat is spelt precisely with an "a", and the plural is galeri) slung over his shoulders: from beneath his beard peeps the red tassel of the hat's cords. Work by Giorgio Schiavone, 1556-61.

The books in Jerome's hands symbolise his translation of the Old and New Testaments into Latin, which came into universal use in the Western Church.

In Orthodox icons, too, Saint Jerome is often depicted in a red hat.