The Ravisher

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.

Museum Label

The Ravisher, c. 1495. Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471–1528). Engraving;
sheet: 11.5 x 10.3 cm (4 1/2 x 4 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of
Art, Dudley P. Allen Fund, 1968.36

Exhibition History

– Year in Review for 1968. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 29-March 9, 1969).
– Albrecht Dürer – 500th Anniversary. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 19-March 28, 1971).
– Eight Masters of the Print. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (October 14, 1980-January 18, 1981).
– Sacred and Profane in Late Gothic Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 2-August 2, 1987).
– Albrecht Dürer and His Influence. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 16-March 10, 1991).
– Object in Focus: A Bridal Couple. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 12-May 12, 2002).
– Dürer's Women: Images of Devotion and Desire. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 22-September 28, 2014).

Catalogue Raisonné

Meder 76

External References

wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18338497
internet_archive: https://archive.org/details/clevelandart-1968.36-the-ravisher

CMA page: https://clevelandart.org/art/1968.36