Samson Rending the Lion

Samson Rending the Lion by Albrecht Dürer German, 1471-1528, is an early and powerful example of the master’s pioneering work in the medium of printmaking. Created sometime between 1491 and 1501, this piece is rendered as a woodcut in black ink on ivory laid paper. This classification of print was rapidly gaining artistic prominence in Germany during the late 15th century, and Dürer quickly established himself as its foremost practitioner, bringing unprecedented quality and detail to the technique. The work illustrates the dramatic biblical episode from the Book of Judges, where the hero Samson confronts and defeats a lion bare-handed near the vineyards of Timnath.

Dürer’s interpretation focuses intensely on the muscular struggle, contrasting the hero's athletic prowess with the beast’s raw, feral power. Unlike previous depictions in Northern European art, the German artist imbued his figure with an idealized yet dynamic anatomy, reflecting his emerging interest in classical humanism and proportion. The figures fill the composition, creating a compact and highly dramatic scene that maximizes the visual impact achievable through the inherent restrictions of the woodcut medium. The artist’s masterful control over line quality and shading (or chiaroscuro achieved through hatching) elevated the status of these types of prints from mere illustration to significant works of art.

This piece highlights the foundational period of Dürer’s style, demonstrating the meticulous detail and narrative energy that would define his later career. As one of the most significant early German prints, this impression of Samson Rending the Lion is preserved within the extensive permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, serving as an important reference for the history of Renaissance graphic arts.