Description

Samson and Delilah by the Flemish Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens.

The original large-scale painting, completed around 1609-1610, is housed in the National Gallery in London, while an oil sketch version is held by the Cincinnati Art Museum.
Artwork Details
Artist: Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577–1640)
Year: c. 1609–1610
Medium: Oil on wood panel
Subject: The painting depicts the Old Testament story from the Book of Judges (Judges 16) where the Philistine lover Delilah is bribed to discover the secret of the Israelite hero Samson’s strength: his uncut hair.
Scene: The artwork captures the dramatic moment when a sleeping Samson’s hair is being cut by an attendant on Delilah’s lap, while Philistine soldiers wait in the background doorway to capture him.