Naked Woman and a Dragon (1523): Art, History and Details

Naked Woman and a Dragon (1523) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Allaert Claesz. (Netherlandish, active c. 1520–26).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Though exposed to the works of Albrecht Dürer and Lucas van Leyden, Allaert Claesz came from an applied arts background, including glass painting, which may explain his ornamental approach to engraving. His technique emphasizes texture and pattern over volume and space. Claesz’s subject is mysterious, portraying a nude queen confronted by a dragon that then carries her away. The circular format was common to painted glass windows in the period.

Object facts

• Title: Naked Woman and a Dragon
• Date: 1523
• Creator attribution: Allaert Claesz. (Netherlandish, active c. 1520–26)
• Culture: Netherlands, 16th century
• Type: Print
• Technique: engraving
• Dimensions: Sheet: 23.5 cm (9 1/4 in.)
• Collection: PR - Engraving
• Department: Prints
• Accession number: 1925.143

Collection credit

Dudley P. Allen Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.