Samson and the Lion, from the Story of Samson
Anonymous, French, 16th century French
Rue de Montorgueil French
Published by Denis Fonteney French
Not on view
In the Old Testament story, God gave Samson supernatural strength to combat his enemies and perform heroic feats. His weaknesses were unsuitable women and his hair, without which he was powerless. Here he is shown as a young man headed to the city of Timnah in Canaan to meet a Philistine woman with whom he had fallen in love. Along the way, a lion attacked him, but he tore the beast apart with his bare hands. The subject and the corresponding biblical passage are printed along the top. The print was published by Denis Fontenay, one of a number of publishers who worked on and around the rue de Mongtorgueil in Paris. It is from a set of four prints representing the story of Samson purchased by the Museum in 2010.
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