Description

The Old Testament hero Samson rests his head on his hand in a pensive, even melancholic pose. Objects on the table recall two of his heroic deeds: he killed a lion with his bare hands, and liberated the Israelites by slaughtering a thousand Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone. Samson’s cuirass, or breastplate, is joined at the shoulder by a clasp in the form of two bees—the emblem of the Barberini family, who commissioned the painting around 1630. In 1627, the Barberini had engaged Valentin to paint another biblical hero, David victorious with the head of Goliath; the canvas depicting Samson was designed to be its pendant.

Provenance

The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio (1972-); Edoardo Almagià [b. 1928], Rome, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art (Probably 1921-1947); Probably Roberto Almagià [1883-1947], by descent to his son, Edoardo Almagià 1 (Probably 1921-1947); Ing. Dr. Edoardo Almagià [b. 1841], Rome, by descent to his son Roberto Almagià, or grandson, Edoardo Almagià 1 (c. 1899-1921); (Galleria Sangiorgi, Rome, Sciarra sale, March 28, 1899, fifth sale, no. 363, sold to Edoardo Almagià) 1 (1899); Colonna di Sciarra family, Rome 1 (1812-1899); Cardinals Francesco [1597 –1679] and Antonio Barberini [1607-1671], by inheritance within the Barberini family, Rome 1 (1631-1812)