Three Old Women Beating the Devil
Artist
Daniel Hopfer
(German, 1470 - 1536)
Daten.d.a.
MediumEtching
DimensionsOverall: 9 3/16 x 6 1/8in. (23.3 x 15.6cm)
Image: 8 7/8 x 6 1/8in. (22.5 x 15.6cm)
Image: 8 7/8 x 6 1/8in. (22.5 x 15.6cm)
ClassificationsPRINTS
Credit LineGift of Edward W. Root
Object number53.133
Description On View
Not on viewCollections
CopyrightNo known copyright restrictions.
Label TextThis humorous print shows the Devil being beaten by three old women as four of the Devil's accomplices helplessly witness the attack. A banderol on the Devil's arm, inscribed: "GIB FRID" ("Let me go!), explains his discomfort. The Devil's appearance is not described in the bible so Hopfer imagined these demons as bizarre combinations of animal and avian forms. The print's imagery derives from Northern Renaissance folklore, which alleged that ill-tempered crones were the Devil's worthy opponent.
PDS
April 2012
