Simson en Delila
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
52; 58; 52
About this artwork
datum
Art Historical Context
Heinrich Aldegre's *Simson en Delila* (1528) captures the dramatic biblical tale of Samson and Delilah from the Book of. This tiny engraving, measuring just 58 × 52 mm, depicts the moment of betrayal where Delilah shears Samson's hair, stripping him of his superhuman strength. Aldegver, a prominent German artist from the Essen school and one of the "Little Masters specialized in such intimate, highly detailed prints that rivaled paintings in precision. Created during the Northern Renaissance, amid the early stirrings of the Protestant Reformation, the work reflects the era's fascination with ...
About the Artist
Heinrich Aldegrever · 1502–1561
Heinrich Aldegrever, born in 1502 in Paderborn, Westphalia, to parents Herman and Katherine Trippenmeker—a family of clog-makers known by the dialect name Trippenmecker—emerged as a multifaceted artist in the German Renaissance. His early training remains undocumented, though he likely apprenticed in a Soest goldsmith's workshop after relocating there around 1525, where he joined the painters' gui...