The Ravisher
Albrecht Dürer · c. 1495 · Cleveland Museum of Art
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The Ravisher portrays a chaotic struggle between a woman and Death, personified here as a wild-eyed corpse-like man. Having mistaken Death as her lover, she attempts to flee, but is thwarted by his firm grip. Images that feature Death often communicated moralizing messages about the dangers of sin and the fleeting nature of life. Had Dürer thought it necessary, he would have included an inscription in the scroll above. However, this could have been redundant since the horror of the scene clearly indicates that Death was exacting payment for the woman’s life of sin.
The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC0
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Details
- Maker
- Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471–1528)
- Date
- c. 1495
- Medium
- engraving
- Dimensions
- Sheet: 11.5 x 10.3 cm (4 1/2 x 4 1/16 in.)
- Place of origin
- Germany
- Held by
- Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · Not on view
- Credit line
- Dudley P. Allen Fund
Image: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0
More by Albrecht Dürer
Shown in
- Dürer's Women: Images of Devotion and DesireJun 22, 2014 – Sep 28, 2014
- Object in Focus: A Bridal CoupleMar 12, 2002 – May 12, 2002
- Albrecht Dürer and His InfluenceJan 16, 1991 – Mar 10, 1991
- Sacred and Profane in Late Gothic PrintsJun 2, 1987 – Aug 2, 1987
- Eight Masters of the PrintOct 14, 1980 – Jan 18, 1981
