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'The Finding of Aesculapius', Giovanni Tognolli
'Christ and the Magdalen', Arthur Hacker
'Christ blessing the little children', Benjamin Robert Haydon
'The Lady with the Japanese Gown: Miss Enid Rutherford', James Hamilton Hay
'Comtesse de Morel-Vindé and her daughter', Baron François-Pascal-Simon Gérard
'Napoleon Crossing the Alps', Paul Delaroche
'Lady in Black Furs', Pilade Bertieri
'Samson'
'Hazel in Rose and Gold', Sir John Lavery
'Portrait of William Roscoe', Sir Martin Archer Shee

'Samson', Solomon J Solomon

Three men are tying Samson up, whilst another shaves his head. Delilah is looking upon the scene from the right of the picture.

Oil on canvas, painted in 1887

Acc. No. WAG 3131

Samson was a Biblical hero renowned for his strength in the Israelites’ struggle for independence against the Philistines. His mistress Delilah persuaded him to reveal that his strength would fail if his hair was cut, then had his head shaved while he was asleep. The Philistines are here seen binding the enfeebled warrior before the delighted, vindictive Delilah.

Violent in action and passion, skilful in anatomy and composition, and rich in colour and brushwork, this is a rare British example of the type of pictures which were the sensations of contemporary art exhibitions in late 19th century Paris.

Solomon combined a career as a portraitist with painting dramatic Biblical and mythological scenes. He was still in his twenties when he showed Samson at the Universal Exhibition held in the French capital in 1889.