Triumph over Evil: Samson Rending the Lion | Pluto and Cerberus, Maarten van Heemskerck, c. 1550 - c. 1560

Triumph over Evil: Samson Rending the Lion | Pluto and Cerberus, Maarten van Heemskerck, c. 1550 - c. 1560

oil on panel, h 46.8cm × w 16cm Catalogue entry

The young, beardless Samson ripped a ferocious lion apart with just his bare hands. In Heemskerck’s time, this story was regarded as the forerunner (prefiguration) of Christ’s victory over the devil. Pluto, recognizable by his three-headed dog Cerberus, was the guardian of the underworld in classical mythology. In the 16th century he was also identified with the devil from Christianity.

Collections with this work

Catalogue entry