c. 1611
Samson and Delilah
Palma il Giovane (Jacopo Negretti)Italian (active Venice), 1544 - 1628
Palma, an esteemed Venetian painter and ambitious draftsman, created this etching as part of a larger project to illustrate a drawing manual designed to teach pictorial construction and human anatomy. A testament to his own mastery of the graphic arts, Palma is believed to have freely composed the image directly on the plate without making any preparatory sketches. Minor errors and unfinished details like the handling of Delilah’s hand and shears underscore the impulsiveness of Palma’s quick, emphatic strokes and energetic manipulation of light and shade.
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