Detail of Samson and Delilah by Cranach in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, December 2007

Samson and Delilah
Lucas Cranach the Elder (German, 1472–1553)
Oil on wood; 22 1/2 x 14 7/8 in. (57.2 x 37.8 cm)
Bequest of Joan Whitney Payson, 1975 (1976.201.11)

The Philistine Delilah cuts the hair of the Old Testament judge Samson thereby sapping him of his strength. The ass's jawbone, which Samson used to slay a thousand Philistines, uselessly lies nearby. In the courtly setting of Cranach's time, this subject had an allegorical meaning, warning men of the pitfalls of love, or women of the deception of men.

The painting dates around 1529-30.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/europe...