The Second Tournament with the Tapestry of Samson and the Lion
Artist: Lucas Cranach the Elder (German, 1472-1553)
Date: 1509
Dimensions:
Page: 11 7/16 × 16 1/2 in. (29.1 × 41.9 cm)
Frame: 23 × 29 in. (58.4 × 73.7 cm)
Medium: Woodcut
Place of Origin: Germany
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Frederick B. and Kate L. Shoemaker Fund
Object number: 1939.487
Label Text:This is one of three woodcuts by Lucas Cranach the Elder depicting the celebration of the Feasts of All Saints. Organized by the Duke of Saxony Frederick the Wise, the festival took place on the 15th and 16th of November, 1508 in Wittenberg, Germany. Jousting tournaments were extremely popular in Germany in the 16th century. They offered both combat practice and demonstrations of military skill and were often incorporated into court festivities. The Tournaments belonged to those aristocratic pleasures that created a good courtly image. Notice how the riders and horses are dressed in elaborate ceremonial armor and adorned with exotic plumage.
Not on view
In Collection(s)