Scuola veneta | Metà XVIII secolo

Venetian School, mid-18th century Samson and Delilah Oil on canvas, 83 x 91 cm Frame, 87 x 94 cm In this intense painting depicting Samson and Delilah, created by a master of the Venetian school of the mid-18th century, the theatrical and dramatic spirit of Baroque art is fully captured. The scene opens on a crucial moment: Samson, betrayed by Delilah, is now deprived of his strength and struggles as he is captured by the Philistines. The tension of the bodies, the strongly characterized expressions, and the skillful rendering of the drapery are typical elements of Venetian painting of the time, influenced by the great lessons of Tiepolo, Piazzetta, and Ricci. The composition highlights a remarkable mastery of drawing and a vibrant lighting direction, which accentuates the pathos of the moment and guides the viewer's gaze towards the psychological drama of the protagonists. The vivid chromatism, played on tones of red, blue, and yellow, is equally emblematic of contemporary Venetian painting, always attentive to the material rendering and the preciousness of the surface. The iconography of Samson and Delilah was very successful in Baroque and Rococo painting. The theme was particularly dear to artists for the possibility of representing the contrast between male strength and female seduction. The sorrowful face of Samson and the composed sensuality of Delilah reveal a moral as well as aesthetic intention, perfectly in line with the religious and moral painting of the Serenissima in the central decades of the eighteenth century. The scene depicts the moment when Delilah, after learning from Samson the secret of his strength (his uncut hair), hands him over to the Philistines. Delilah's gesture, reaching out with apparent care towards the hero, is ambiguous, suspended between pity and betrayal. Samson, half-naked and chained, is still depicted in a heroic but already defeated posture, a symbol of the fragility of man in the face of seduction. The iconography originates from the biblical text (Book of Judges, 16) and has often been used as an allegory of the conflict between reason and passion, strength and weakness, virtue and sin. ?? Professional packaging and insured shipping to ensure maximum safety during transport. ?? For more information, please contact us +39 3335747733 – info@dequart.com Possibility of VIDEO CALLS and direct viewings by appointment in MILAN and OMEGNA (Vb).