Samson - Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Master Mariner
N 51° 29.769 W 000° 10.317
30U E 696301 N 5708793
This statue, of "Samson Slaying a Philistine", is located in the Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum in London. The sculpture is by Giambologna.
Waymark Code: WMHV9E
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/15/2013
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Dorcadion Team
Views: 3

The information board on the plinth tells us:

Samson Slaying A Philistine
About 1562
Giovanni Bologna, called Giambologna

Giambologna, working at the court of the Medici grand-dukes of Tuscany, became the most famous and influential sculptor of his day. This spectacular marble group, made for Francesco de’ Medici, was his first major commission. In it, he achieved his ambition to create a two-figure group in movement, with several different viewpoints. Originally placed atop a fountain in the herb garden of Francesco's palace in Florence, the group was sent to Spain in 1601 as a diplomatic gift.

The V&A Museum website tells us about the piece:

The only monumental marble sculpture by Giambologna ever to have left Florence was acquired by the Museum in 1953 with the assistance of the Art Fund. It is a group nearly seven feet high (210 centimetres) showing two nude men in combat, and representing Samson slaying a Philistine, an episode from the Old Testament 'Book of Judges': 'And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand and took it and slew a thousand men therewith.'

The group bears the weathered remains of the sculptor's usual signature on the strap across Samson's chest: 'I ... BELGAE ... '. The statue has been in England for over 300 years and accordingly, despite its Italian origin, is an integral part of our national artistic heritage. Ever since the 17th century it has set a standard of aesthetic achievement and technical virtuosity that has challenged and inspired artists and patrons in this country. This is attested by full-scale casts in lead by Nost and Cheere in the gardens of country houses and lively sketches and paintings by, for example, Sir John Baptist Medina (1659–1710).

The Bible Gateway website contains the appropriate paragraph, relating to the sculpture, from the King James Bible that reads:

Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us. Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.

And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men. And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramath-lehi.

Associated Religion(s): Hebrew

Statue Location: Victoria & Albert Museum

Entrance Fee: Free

Artist: Giambologna

Website: [Web Link]

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