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Samson Killing the Lion

Samson Killing the Lion

Artist/Maker (German, 1471–1528)
Date1497–98
MediumWoodcut
DimensionsImage/Sheet: 15 1/16 × 11 in. (38.3 × 27.9 cm)
Credit LineFriends of Art Fund
Object number1950.128
Status
Not on view
More Information
Dürer’s Samson Killing the Lion is among the earliest of the artist's works, completed when he was still in his twenties. Though it was made early in his career, this print highlights Dürer's adeptness at rendering textures, as evidenced by the delicate curls of the lion's mane. This print depicts the moment in Judges 14:5-6 when Samson, empowered by God, kills a lion with his bare hands. Since the Middle Ages, this story was regarded as a prefiguration of Christ's victory over Satan.
Exhibition History
An American University Collection: Works of Art from the Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, Ohio
  • Kenwood House, London (May 3, 1962 - October 30, 1962 )
Oberlin Friends of Art: 25 Years of Collecting
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (March 5, 1963 - March 26, 1963 )
Albrecht Durer – 500th Anniversary
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (February 19, 1971 - March 28, 1971 )
Prints by Albrecht Durer
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (April 3, 1971 - May 5, 1971 )
The Renaissance in Oberlin: Graphics from the Permanent Collection
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (November 25, 1986 - December 31, 1986 )
Print Council Exhibition: Selections from the Prints and Drawings Collection at the Allen Memorial Art Museum
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (May 5, 1988 - June 5, 1988 )
Exhibition for Education Department, Lorain County Gifted and Talented Program: Printmaking
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (July 13, 1993 - July 20, 1993 )
Quality and Technique in Prints
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (October 4, 1996 - December 22, 1996 )
German Renaissance Prints 1470-1550
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (August 27, 1999 - January 30, 2000 )
Teaching Exhibition: European and American Prints from the Collection
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (September 17, 2005 - December 23, 2005 )
Printing Practice: Religious Prints from the Renaissance
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (September 6, 2012 - December 23, 2012 )
Collections
  • European
This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator. Noticed a mistake? Have some extra information about this object? Please contact us.