Rijksmuseum

Triomf over het kwaad: Simson verscheurt de leeuw | Pluto en Cerberus

Date

c. 1550 - c. 1560

Medium

panel, oil paint (paint)

Institution

Rijksmuseum

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.

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