Samson Rending the Lion
Medium
engraving
Classification
Department
Prints
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Grace Rainey Rogers Fund
Accession Number
1948.456
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
male
About this artwork
The biblical hero Samson appears here as a fantastical medieval courtier, proving his courage and strength by slaying a lion with his bare hands. Viewers familiar with Samson’s story would have identified the courtly maiden as the woman of Timnah, a heathen who marries Samson, but betrays him during their wedding. The idea that even history’s greatest men succumbed to the power of women was a popular one in early prints.