Samson and the Lion
1498
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
Artist
Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
See the richer artist page1498
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Samson and the Lion is a 1498 by Albrecht Dürer, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This woodcut shows a man wrestling a lion in a wild landscape. The man is on his back, gripping the lion’s head while it rears up. In the background, a town sits by a river, with trees and a castle on a hill. The artist used sharp lines and deep shadows to make the scene dramatic. The lion’s fur looks almost furry, and the man’s muscles are tight with effort. Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how artists use light and dark to create drama.
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
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