Artwork
Jael and Sisera
Jael and Sisera is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Albrecht Altdorfer. It dates from 1513 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Albrecht Altdorfer’s woodcut *Jael and Sisera*, executed circa 1513, presents a biblical episode on a sheet of laid paper. The print measures roughly the size typical of early 16th‑century German woodcuts and illustrates the dramatic moment when Jael kills the Canaanite commander Sisira, a scene drawn from the Book of Judges.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures the climax of the Judges narrative: Jael, a heroine of Israel, drives a tent‑peg through the sleeping Sisera’s head. Altdorfer emphasizes the moral contrast between the virtuous Israelite woman and the defeated enemy, underscoring themes of divine deliverance and the unexpected agency of women in biblical history.
Technique & Style
Carved in relief on a single block of wood, the print demonstrates Altdorfer’s precise line work and careful modulation of tone through varied hatching. The composition balances the central figures with an expansive, naturalistic landscape, a hallmark of Altdorfer’s early interest in treating scenery as an autonomous element rather than mere background.
History & Provenance
Created while Altdorfer was active in Regensburg, the woodcut was likely produced for a devotional or didactic market in the German lands. It survives in several collections, having passed through private hands before entering museum holdings in the 20th century, where it is catalogued among his early print output.
Context
Altdorfer belonged to the Danube School, a group that integrated vivid, atmospheric landscapes into religious and historical subjects. His work also aligns him with the Nuremberg Little Masters, a circle of printmakers noted for their small‑scale, highly detailed engravings and woodcuts that circulated widely across Europe.
Artist & collection
Artist
Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480 – 12 February 1538) was a German painter, engraver and architect of the Renaissance working in Regensburg. Along with Lucas Cranach the Elder and Wolf Huber he is regarded to be the main…
