Samson and the Lion (recto); Virgin Mary with Right Arm Extended (verso)
Medium
Black chalk (recto), and black chalk heightened with touches of white chalk (verso), on blue laid paper
Dimensions
39.4 × 25.6 cm (15 9/16 × 10 1/8 in.)
Classification
drawings (visual works)
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
112418
Art Historical Context
Domenico Fiasella, a prominent Genoese artist of the late 16th (c. 1539–1609), crafted this double-sided drawing as a masterful study in black chalk. On the recto, Samson wrestles and tears apart a lion, capturing the biblical hero's raw strength from the Book of Judges in dynamic, muscular forms. The verso features the Virgin Mary with her right arm extended in a gesture of blessing or presentation, evoking devotional tenderness amid her serene poise. Such dual-sided sheets were common in artists' workshops for exploring compositions before painting. Rendered on blue laid paper—a favored 16t...
About the Artist
Domenico Fiasella · 1589–1669
Son of a silversmith. He is known for history and religious scenes characterized by clarity, attention to detail, rich color and classical figures, in addition to influence of the robust figure style, painterly surfaces and brilliant reds and golds of Rubens and Anthony van Dyck. Comment on works: Religious