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Samson (or Hercules?)

late 16th–early 17th century
Not on view
Few paintings survive by Jacques Bellange, a favored artist of the ducal court of Lorraine in what is today northeastern France. His reputation as one of the greatest late Mannerist artists is due primarily to his extant prints and drawings, which are distinguished by their idiosyncratic style combining courtly elegance and psychological expressiveness. This recently discovered sheet is entirely characteristic of Bellange's style as a draftsman. Flamboyant curves and curlicues are produced in a rapid ink line, delineating the figure's beard, the animal skins draped from his shoulder, and his elaborate sandals. Passages of parallel hatching, reinforced by blocky areas of wash, model his powerful, twisting form in a pose suggestive of both force and grace.

Samson and Hercules, who happen to share the attributes of lion skin and club, have both been proposed as the subject of this sheet. In the biblical account, the club Samson brandishes is the jawbone of an ass, the weapon used to defeat the Philistines. He is sometimes depicted after the battle holding the jawbone aloft, whence water would miraculously gush forth to quench his thirst.

Perrin Stein, May 2014

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Samson (or Hercules?)
  • Artist: Jacques Bellange (French, Bassigny (?) ca. 1575–1616 Nancy)
  • Date: late 16th–early 17th century
  • Medium: Pen and brown ink, brush and brown and gray wash
  • Dimensions: 15 5/16 x 7 1/4 in. (38.9 x 18.4 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 2001
  • Object Number: 2001.568
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
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The Martyrdom of Saint Lucy, Jacques Bellange French, Etching
The Martyrdom of Saint Lucy
Jacques Bellange
Three Marys at the Tomb, Jacques Bellange French, etching
Three Marys at the Tomb
Jacques Bellange
Standing Man with a Putto, Jacques Bellange French, Black chalk
Standing Man with a Putto
Jacques Bellange
ca.1575–1616
Saint Jude (or Saint Matthias), Jacques Bellange French, Etching
Saint Jude (or Saint Matthias)
Jacques Bellange
1595–1616
Saint Jacob Minor, Jacques Bellange French, Etching and engraving
Saint Jacob Minor
Jacques Bellange
1595–1616

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