Artwork Page for The Ravisher

Details / Information for The Ravisher

The Ravisher

c. 1495

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)
Culture
Germany, late 15th Century
Medium
engraving
Measurements
Sheet: 11.5 x 10.3 cm (4 1/2 x 4 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Dudley P. Allen Fund 1968.36
Catalogue raisonné
Meder 76
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

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.
A vertically oriented black ink print on gray-white paper depicts a man and woman with light skin tones. On our left, the woman wears a patterned cap and long dress, looking toward our left with wide eyes while pulling fabric. Behind her, a shirtless man with wild hair and a long beard reaches around her waist. A large, blank banner curves through the sky above a gnarled tree and distant buildings.

The Ravisher

c. 1495

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)
Germany, late 15th Century

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