Samson Rending the Lion
ca. 1497–98
Medium
Woodcut
Dimensions
sheet: 15 1/4 x 11 in. (38.7 x 28 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The George Khuner Collection, Gift of Mrs. George Khuner, 1975
Accession Number
1975.653.9
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 1490s, Albrecht Dürer, a pioneering figure of the Northern Renaissance, created *Samson Rending the*, a striking woodcut capturing the biblical hero's legendary feat from the Book of Judges. Depicting Samson tearing apart a roaring lion with his bare hands, this print embodies raw physical power and divine strength, popular motif in Renaissance art symbolizing triumph over adversity. Produced around 1497–98, it reflects Dürer's early mastery during his Nuremberg years, when he was elevating woodcuts from humble book illustrations to standalone masterpieces. Dürer's woodcut techniq...
About the Artist
Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528
Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...