Oil on canvas

Measures 114.5X131.5 cm.

Antonio Bellucci, an Italian painter of the Baroque period, is known for his theatrical and dramatic compositions dealing with mythological, historical, and religious themes. Bellucci was active in several European courts, including Vienna, Düsseldorf and London, influencing the European Baroque. In this mature work, from the last decade of the seventeenth century (the best years), he depicts the famous biblical episode of Samson and Delilah from the Book of Judges, in which Delilah betrays Samson, cutting off his hair and robbing him of his strength. Datable to the early 1790s. The work is accompanied by a study by Prof. Fabrizio Magani. Publication: Studies in honor of Stefano Tumidei , edited by Andrea Bacchi and Luca Massimo Barbero. Bellucci and Lazzarini for Stephen’s curiosity by Fabrizio Magani – Pg 319 and 324, fig 1. Provenance: Lin Palace – Grand Canal Venice. Chateau de Buzay near La Rochelle – France. Reference bibliography: Magani, F. Antonio Bellucci: Rimini, 1995;