Samson and Delilah

Lucas Cranach the Elder

ca. 1528–30 · Oil on beech · European Paintings

In this scene from the Hebrew Bible, the Israelite hero Samson sleeps in the lap of his treacherous Philistine lover Delilah, who shears a lock of hair from his head to drain his superhuman strength. A group of soldiers emerges from the forest, seeking revenge against the disempowered hero who had murdered a thousand Philistines with the ass’s jawbone lying at his feet. The panel’s small size suggests that it was displayed in a private context. In the courtly setting of Cranach’s time, the biblical story had an allegorical meaning, warning men of the pitfalls of love and the supposed wiles of women.

Artist

Lucas Cranach the Elder

Date

ca. 1528–30

Medium

Oil on beech

Department

European Paintings

Credit line

Bequest of Joan Whitney Payson, 1975