Jael and Sisera
1520/25
Medium
Woodcut in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image/block: 7.2 × 4.8 cm (2 7/8 × 1 15/16 in.); Sheet: 12.3 × 9.5 cm (4 7/8 × 3 3/4 in.)
Classification
wood engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
110642
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Albrecht Altdorfer depicted the biblical heroine Jael, who killed Sisera, the captain of the king of Canaan’s army, in order to deliver Israel from his troops. She welcomed Sisera to her home when he and his soldiers were fleeing from battle and offered him food and drink. When he fell asleep, she drove a tent spike through his skull so deeply that it pierced the ground below. Jael was heralded and blessed for enabling Israel’s victory.
About the Artist
Albrecht Altdorfer · 1475–1538
Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480–1538) was a German painter, printmaker, and draftsman who stands as one of the founders of landscape painting as an independent genre. Born in Regensburg or nearby Altdorf, he learned art from his father Ulrich, a painter and miniaturist. Altdorfer spent most of his life in Regensburg, becoming a citizen in 1505 and later serving as the city's official architect and a m...