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Samson and Delilah

A work made of engraving in black on ivory laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of engraving in black on ivory laid paper.

Date:

1545

Artist:

Hans Brosamer
German, c. 1500-1554

About this artwork

In another portrayal of the dangerous power of women, here Brosamer depicted the biblical scene of Delilah betraying Samson. This engraving is similar in scale to the artist’s nearby Phyllis and Aristotle (1923.203), and the two works may have been conceived as a pair. Renowned for his strength, Samson unwisely shared the source of his power—his hair—with his lover, the treacherous Delilah. While the Bible verses (Judges 16: 17–18) specify that Samson will lose his strength when his hair is shaved off, here Deliliah uses a more feminine tool, scissors.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Hans Brosamer

Title

Samson and Delilah

Place

Germany (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1545

Medium

Engraving in black on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

Image/plate: 8 × 9.7 cm (3 3/16 × 3 7/8 in.); Sheet: 8.4 × 10 cm (3 5/16 × 3 15/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Potter Palmer

Reference Number

1921.317

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/80765/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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