Samson at the Mill, from "Dalziels' Bible Gallery"

Art Historical Context

"Samson at the Mill is a striking wood engraving from *Dalziels' Bible* (1865–81), a celebrated Victorian publication featuring biblical illustrations by leading British artists, meticulously engraved by the Dalziel Brothers. The design is by Frederic, Lord Leighton, a prominent Victorian painter and sculptor renowned for his neoclassical style and muscular, heroic figures inspired by antiquity. This image captures the biblical hero Samson in his humbled state from the Book of Judges, blinded and laboring at the mill after his betrayal by Delilah—a poignant moment of downfall and endurance. Printed on fine India paper and mounted on thin card, the engraving showcases the Dalziel Brothers' mastery of wood engraving, a technique that allowed intricate detail and tonal depth from carved wooden blocks. At 7 7/16 × 6 13/16 inches, the image exemplifies the gallery's goal to make high art accessible through affordable prints, blending Pre-Raphaelite precision with Leighton's dramatic idealism. Published by Scribner and Welford in America and Camden Press, it reflects 19th-century fascination with biblical narratives as vehicles for moral and aesthetic exploration. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (anonymous gift, 1926), this print highlights the collaborative genius behind Victorian illustration, inviting viewers to ponder Samson's tragic strength amid the era's religious revival.

About the Artist

Camden Press|Scribner and Welford|Dalziel Brothers|Frederic, Lord Leighton (British|American|British) · 1857 |1800 |1839 –1893 |1899 |1893

British, London|New York, NY|British, active 1839–93