Great Paintings Explained: Samson and Delilah by Rubens
When allure, faith and betrayal meet
This compelling painting, by the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, captures the moment when the Biblical hero Samson has his superhuman strength stolen whilst he sleeps.
In the background, a troop of soldiers pause at a doorway before entering. They appear to be waiting for a sign that “the deed is done.”
They will arrest Samson, gouge out his eyes, and take him prisoner in the city of Gaza.
The Secret to His Strength
As you can see, the image shows a man asleep on a woman’s lap. They are both partially unclothed. Beside them are two figures, one holding a candle to illuminate the lovers, the other taking a pair of scissors to the sleeping man’s hair.
Samson’s sleeping form — most especially his great arm that hangs so mightily at the front of the painting — emphasises the significance of his downfall.
His substantial body is so palpable in its heaviness, and so emphatically languid, that it is almost impossible to not feel the dormancy of his physical strength. The artist Rubens understood that the sleeping form of Samson is where the very crux of the story can be visualised.
