Samson Captured by the Philistines

Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri) Italian

Not on view

According to the Bible, Samson, whose strength came from his hair, was shorn by his duplicitous lover, Delilah, and then set upon by the Philistines, who bound and blinded him. The focus of this dramatic and marvelously staged composition—a landmark in the artist’s career—is the vigorously modeled back of Samson, struggling to free himself. It is one of several commissions from Cardinal Giacomo Serra, the papal legate to Ferrara. Serra was a notable collector in Rome and also promoted Rubens.

#5089. Samson Captured by the Philistines

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Samson Captured by the Philistines, Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri) (Italian, Cento 1591–1666 Bologna), Oil on canvas

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