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Hans Brosamer

Samson and Delilah

1545
Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
8 × 9.7 cm (3.1 × 3.8 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

In another portrayal of the dangerous power of women, here Brosamer depicted the biblical scene of Delilah betraying Samson. This engraving is similar in scale to the artist’s nearby Phyllis and Aristotle (1923.203), and the two works may have been conceived as a pair. Renowned for his strength, Samson unwisely shared the source of his power—his hair—with his lover, the treacherous Delilah. While the Bible verses (Judges 16: 17–18) specify that Samson will lose his strength when his hair is shaved off, here Deliliah uses a more feminine tool, scissors.

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More by Hans Brosamer

Katharina MerianKatharina MerianChrist on the cross between the virgin and St. JohnChrist on the cross between the virgin and St. JohnVenus and Cupid on a SnailVenus and Cupid on a SnailPhyllis and AristotlePhyllis and AristotleSamson and DelilahSamson and DelilahCupid Bringing and Honeycomb to VenusCupid Bringing and Honeycomb to VenusSolomom Adoring the IdolsSolomom Adoring the IdolsDavid and BathshebaDavid and Bathsheba

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