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Samson and Delilah

Michel Corneille

1664

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque Allegory aeneas

Dominant colour

Samson and Delilah is a 1664 ink by Michel Corneille, a Baroque work, depicting aeneas, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Michel Corneille
When & what style?: 1664 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This etching shows Samson asleep with Delilah cutting his hair. A soldier waits outside with a glowing lantern. The scene is dark except for that one sharp light on Samson’s chest. The artist uses tiny dots—called aquatint—to make shadows look soft. The lines are delicate but bold where it matters. Check out how Corneille uses light to show who’s in charge.