# Samson Slaying the Lion [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [CRANACH, Lucas the Elder]() - Date: 1501-1550 - Technique: Oil on beech panel, 57 x 38 cm ## Commentary Samson demonstrated his superhuman strength by slaying a lion with his bare hands. He is depicted with foot in its back, grasping its jaws in his hands and forcing them apart. Combat with a single adversary was a subject that naturally tended to acquire a symbolic meaning. This instance was interpreted by the medieval Church as the struggle of Christ against the devil. <p> <table align=left cellpadding=5 border=1 width=320 bgcolor="\#99cccc"> <tr valign=middle><td><img src="/support/gif/listen.gif" border=0 valign=middle> Suggested listening \(streaming mp3, 12 minutes\):<br><a href="\#" onClick="w=window.open \('/music1/18\_cent/handel\_samson.html', 'newWin', 'scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=350,height=350'\);w.opener=this;w.focus\(\);return true"><b>George Frideric Handel: Samson, Part 1 Sinfonia, recitative and chorus</b></a> </td></tr></table> ## Related artworks - [A Faun and his Family with a Slain Lion \(detail\)]() - [A Faun and his Family with a Slain Lion]() - [A Prince of Saxony]() - [A Princess of Saxony]() - [Adam and Eve \(detail\)]() - [Adam and Eve]() - [Adam and Eve]() - [Adam and Eve]() - [Adam and Eve]() - [Adam and Eve]() - [Adam and Eve]() - [Adam and Eve]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()