The Ravisher (c. 1495): Art, History and Details

The Ravisher (c. 1495) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471–1528).

The work and its context

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

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.

Object facts

• Title: The Ravisher
• Date: c. 1495
• Creator attribution: Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471–1528)
• Culture: Germany, late 15th Century
• Type: Print
• Technique: engraving
• Dimensions: Sheet: 11.5 x 10.3 cm (4 1/2 x 4 1/16 in.)
• Collection: PR - Engraving
• Department: Prints
• Accession number: 1968.36

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.