Stunning.
There are 2 paintings at the National Gallery by the 17th century Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens which are breathtaking. Truly incredible works which stop you in your tracks. This one is “Samson and Delilah” painted in 1609. The next one to follow.
It depicts the Old Testament tale of Samson and Delilah – a tale of lust, deception, betrayal, and revenge. Delilah was bribed by the Philistines (origin of the word “Palestine”) to seduce Samson and discover the secret of his great strength. God gave him great strength because of his vow to never cut his hair. Delilah kept on pestering him, and eventually he gave in and told her his secret. As he slept in her lap, she beckoned soldiers and an assistant to cut his hair.
In Rubens’s painting, Samson’s crimson dress is incredible. Especially its crevices and folds, on top of a golden shimmering fabric. You can almost feel its sikliness. Dramatic lighting is a nod to Caravaggio. The painting has so many vivid and powerful colours to match the power and drama of the story.
The lust is powerfully depicted. Delilah’s bosoms exposed & Samons is half-dressed.
It’s interesting just how beautifully curly & short Samson’s hair already is!! And I love the curvature of the fingers and the arms. The heel of the foot appears to stick out of the painting (over an exquisitely decorated rug).
✲✲✲
There were interesting articles a few months ago about this painting being a potential forgery. See Dalya Alberge writing in “Fresh doubt cast on authenticity of Rubens painting in National Gallery” (Guardian) and Abigail Buchanan writing in “The National Gallery ‘masterpiece’ that’s probably a fake” (Telegraph). I am persuaded by the NG’s belief it is a genuine painting by Rubens. They examined the painting’s materials and concluded it was consistent with that period. The spokesman said:
“Samson and Delilah has long been accepted by leading Rubens scholars as a masterpiece by Peter Paul Rubens. Painted on wood panel in oil shortly after his return to Antwerp in 1608 and demonstrating all that the artist had learned in Italy, it is a work of the highest aesthetic quality. A technical examination of the picture was presented in an article in the National Gallery’s Technical Bulletin in 1983. The findings remain valid.”
