Although the painting was never fully realized, saint Jerome's densely compact pose attained an important status in Leonardo's mind. The artist continued to improvise on the gesture in several future works, particularly his two versions of the Virgin of the Rocks, where it evolved (as can be easily traced in his drawings; see figs. 65 and 73) into the inclusive, sheltering pose of Mary and where Leonardo's mysterious, geological formations reappeared as well (fig. 74). Infrared-light examination of the second Virgin of the Rocks (now in the National Gallery, London) reveals some relevant chalk or charcoal drawing on the panel, beneath the paint layers; these outlines indicate that, before picking up his brush, Leonardo briefly considered a pose for Mary that was very close to Jerome's.

Recycled from the Saint Jerome, the tall, cavernous stone formations in the Virgin of the Rocks would have taken on new meanings in their new context – metaphorical allusions, traditionally associated with Mary, from the biblical Song of Songs (2:14):