The Capture of Samson

Museum record 8953: The Capture of Samson by Peter Paul Rubens. A verified entry point for discovery.

What to notice

For The Capture of Samson (record 8953), start with modern, expressive, atmospheric. Compare the focal subject, edge treatment, and atmosphere before moving on.

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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…