The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 19, 2025
Samson and Delilah
1545
(German, c. 1500–1554)
Sheet: 8.2 x 9.8 cm (3 1/4 x 3 7/8 in.)
Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1922.132
Catalogue raisonné: Hollstein vol. IV.209.2
Location: 101B Prints & Drawings
Did You Know?
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.Description
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.- In Vino Veritas (In Wine, Truth). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 7, 2025-January 11, 2026).16th Century German Engravings. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 13, 1938-January 22, 1939).Exhibition of Prints by the Little Masters: Prints form the Museum Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 23-April 24, 1938).
- {{cite web|title=Samson and Delilah|url=false|author=Hans Brosamer|year=1545|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1922.132