Samson Captured by the Philistines
Medium
Pen and dark brown (iron gall) ink with brush and two hues of brown wash
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 9/16 in. × 11 in. (24.3 × 28 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Leon D. and Debra R. Black, Mark Fisch and Rachel Davidson, Charles and Jessie Price, and Mr. and Mrs. David M. Tobey Gifts, in honor of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 2018
Accession Number
2018.196
Art Historical Context
In the electrifying drawing *Samson Captured the Philistines* (1619), Guercino—born Giovanni Francesco Barbieri—ures a pivotal biblical moment from the Book of Judges. The mighty Israelite hero, betrayed by Delilah and shorn of his strength-giving hair, is seized by his Philistine enemies in a scene brimming with drama and tension. Created when Guercino was just22, this early masterpiece showcases the young Bolognese artist's emerging mastery of the Baroque style, characterized by intense emotion, dynamic movement, and chiaroscuro contrasts that heighten the narrative's pathos. Executed in pe...
About the Artist
Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri) · 1591–1666
Guercino — the nickname meaning "squint-eyed" — was born Giovanni Francesco Barbieri in Cento, near Ferrara, in 1591. Largely self-taught in his early years, he absorbed the dramatic chiaroscuro of Ludovico Carracci's work in Bologna and the naturalistic innovations spreading from Caravaggio's circle, forging from these influences a highly personal style of extraordinary expressive power. By his e...