Detail View: The AMICA Library: Samson and Delilah
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AMICA ID:
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CMA_.1968.23
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AMICA Library Year:
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2000
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Object Type:
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Paintings
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Creator Name:
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Honthorst, Gerrit van
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Creator Nationality:
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European; Dutch
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Creator Role:
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artist
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Creator Dates/Places:
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1590 - 1656
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Gender:
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M
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Creator Name-CRT:
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Gerrit van Honthorst
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Title:
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Samson and Delilah
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Title Type:
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Primary
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View:
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Full View
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Creation Date:
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c. 1621
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Creation Start Date:
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1616
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Creation End Date:
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1626
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Materials and Techniques:
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oil on canvas
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Dimensions:
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Unframed: 129cm x 94cm
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AMICA Contributor:
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The Cleveland Museum of Art
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Owner Location:
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Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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ID Number:
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1968.23
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Credit Line:
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Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
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Rights:
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Provenance:
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(Possibly) Marchése Tommaso Raggi, Genoa and Rome (1595/6-1676), and descendants; Anonymous collection, RomeHazlitt Gallery, London.
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Context:
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As recounted in the Old Testament (Judges 16:4-20) the Philistines bribed Samson's lover, Delilah, to persuade him to reveal the source of his great strength. Three times he gave her false answers, but finally she succeeded in extracting the truth: that his strength lay in his hair, which had not been cut since birth. Delilah lulled Samson to sleep and then signaled to a waiting Philistine. The man quietly shaved Samson's locks and he awoke to find himself helpless.In Honthorst's depiction, Samson sleeps with his head on a table as Delilah herself cuts his hair. Her face is calm, and she goes about her task with quiet concentration. At the left, a watchful old woman holds a candle and raises a finger to her lips, cautioning silence.The picture was painted in Rome, where Honthorst absorbed the style of Caravaggio (1571-1610) and thus made light his major vehicle for artistic expression. In this painting the candle spreads a warm and atmospheric glow that unifies the com-position. The artist also liked colorful accessories and details. Here he took great care in rendering the pearl-embroidered border of Delilah's dress and her sumptuous turban.
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Related Image Identifier Link:
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CMA_.1968.23.tif
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