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The Capture of Samson

A work made of oil on panel.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of oil on panel.

Date:

1609–10

Artist:

Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577-1640)

About this artwork

This panel, made as a sketch for a larger painting commissioned by the mayor of Antwerp, Nicolas Rockox, demonstrates the influence of the ancient and modern art Peter Paul Rubens studied in Italy. The subject comes from a story in the Hebrew Bible in which the mighty Samson awakes to find that his lover, Delilah, has cut off his hair, the source of his strength. Rubens drew from ancient Roman sculpture for Samson’s contorted pose as he is captured by soldiers, while the strong contrast of light and dark recalls the work of 16th-century Italian painter Tintoretto—for example, Tarquin and Lucretia.

Status

On View, Gallery 208

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Artist

Peter Paul Rubens

Title

The Capture of Samson

Place

Flanders (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.

1609–1610

Medium

Oil on panel

Dimensions

50.4 × 66.4 cm (19 3/4 × 26 1/8 in.); Framed: 73.3 × 89.5 × 12.1 cm (28 7/8 × 35 1/4 × 4 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Robert A. Waller Memorial Fund

Reference Number

1923.551

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.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/8953/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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