Samson Captured by the Philistines
The Met
Artist: Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri)(Italian, Cento 1591–1666 Bologna)
Date: 1619
Department: European Paintings
Classification: Paintings
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 75 1/4 x 93 1/4 in. (191.1 x 236.9 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1984
Visual Descriptions
AI GeneratedVisual Summary
Brief Description
A crowded scene with a woman, a man, and figures, one armored, holding a knife
Detailed Description
A dark painting depicts a crowded scene of multiple figures. The composition is dense, with figures overlapping and tightly packed. In the lower left, a woman is seated, her body angled towards the center. She wears a white off-the-shoulder garment with blue and red drapery around her lower body, and her hair is adorned with a white wreath. Her left arm is extended, and her hand rests on a white cloth. Her gaze is directed towards the central figures. At the center, an armored man, wearing dark, reflective plate armor, leans over the woman's leg. He holds a small, sharp object, possibly a knife, near her lower leg. His face is partially obscured by his helmet and the angle of his head. Directly to his right, a muscular, bare-chested man with dark hair is positioned, his back mostly to the viewer. His right arm is bent and his left leg is extended forward. His lower body is covered by a dark green or brown cloth. Surrounding these central figures are several other men. Above the armored man, a man in a dark helmet and another with a beard and dark cap look down. To the right of the bare-chested man, another man with dark, curly hair and a patterned tunic holds his hands up to his face. Further to the right and slightly behind, a younger figure with light hair looks out from behind a dark, rectangular structure. The background is dark and indistinct, with hints of a dark sky on the upper right. Light highlights the figures' skin and the reflective surfaces of the armor, creating strong contrasts between light and shadow. The overall color palette includes deep reds, blues, browns, and the metallic sheen of armor, set against the pale skin tones of the figures.
Generated by gemini-2.5-flash
