The Second Tournament with the Tapestry of Samson and the Lion

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The Second Tournament with the Tapestry of Samson and the Lion

Artist Lucas Cranach the Elder (German, 1472-1553)

Place of OriginGermany

Date1509

DimensionsPage: 11 7/16 × 16 1/2 in. (29.1 × 41.9 cm)
Frame: 23 × 29 in. (58.4 × 73.7 cm)

MediumWoodcut

ClassificationPrints

Credit LineFrederick B. and Kate L. Shoemaker Fund

Object number

1939.487

Not on View

Label TextThis 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.Exhibition History

Toledo Museum of Art, Renaussance Prints: Fable, Faith and Folk, Oct. 16-Dec. 16, 1958.

Toledo Museum of Art, The Painter Was a Printmaker, June 23-Sept. 9, 1984.

Toledo Museum of Art, Fun & Games: The Pursuit of Leisure, Jun. 27-Sept. 21, 2014.

Toledo Museum of Art, Looks Good on Paper: Masterworks and Favorites, Oct. 10, 2014-Jan. 11, 2015.