Samson and Delilah (1545): Art, History and Details

Samson and Delilah (1545) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Hans Brosamer (German, c. 1500–1554).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Samson was a man of immense strength and a Nazarite, an Israelite who took a pious oath not to cut his hair or drink alcohol. Bribed by the Philistines (enemies of the Israelites), Delilah—Samson’s lover—cut his hair after discovering that it was the source of his strength. In Hans Brosamer’s rendition, Samson has fallen asleep on Delilah’s lap as she cuts his hair while the Philistines enter. A large chalice and ewer nearby reveal the role of wine in his slumber. Hans Burgkmair I similarly emphasized the importance of wine to the plot with a single beaker. The story was popular in Protestant Northern Europe, where it was understood as a cautionary tale about the dangers of temptation and neglecting one’s spiritual commitments.

Object facts

• Title: Samson and Delilah
• Date: 1545
• Creator attribution: Hans Brosamer (German, c. 1500–1554)
• Culture: Germany
• Type: Print
• Technique: engraving
• Dimensions: Sheet: 8.2 x 9.8 cm (3 1/4 x 3 7/8 in.)
• Collection: PR - Engraving
• Department: Prints
• Accession number: 1922.132

A detail from the museum

Samson's sandals may be intended to signal his status as an ancient warrior, but with the exception of Samson's footwear, Samson and Delilah are dressed like 16th-century Europeans.

Collection credit

Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.