Read Resources on the strange story of the Samson and Delilah story from across three decades, including reports, media stories and assorted curiosities. More resources old and new will be added to this section in the coming days.
Reports and key documents
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1992 Report on the samson and delilah
A reported submitted to the National Gallery by three artists – Euphrosyne Doxiadis, Steve Harvey and Sian Hopkinson – outlining stylistic, technical and provenance issues with the Samson and Delilah
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Artwatch: 2000 RUBENS SPECIAL
One of a series of detailed and comprehensive research reports in the Artwatch journal, edited by Mike Daley, focused on Rubens – and in particular the Samson and Delilah.
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Artwatch: 2006 Rubens special
Another in the series of Artwatch special issues on Rubens, this time in 2006, again focusing on the Samson and Delilah.
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"The 'Samson and Delilah' – a Question of Attribution.", Dr. Kasia Pisarek, 2006
An academic article by art-historian Dr. Kasia Pisarek, contained within the Artwatch Journal of 2006, examining the shaky scholarly underpinning of the National Gallery’s challenged Rubens.
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National Gallery Technical Bulletin, 1983
A detailed report ('Samson and Delilah': Rubens and the Art and Craft of Painting on Panel’)on the Samson and Delilah prepared by Joyce Plesters of the National Gallery in 1983.
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National Gallery Press Release on the samson and delilah, oct 1997
Under pressure in 1997, the National Gallery issued a press release defending the attribution of the Samson and Delilah to Rubens, including a list of experts who support the attribution. They added a still unfulfilled promise to hold a public discussion and said “the National Gallery will be arranging such a lecture and debate over the next few months.”
Highlight articles (full list below)
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"Was famed Samson and Delilah really painted by Rubens? No, says AI", The Guardian Sep 2021
Reporting on a groundbreaking AI study that suggests a 91% probability that the Samson and Delilah is not by Rubens’ hand.
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‘A Rubens or a costly copy?’, Waldemar Januszczak, The Sunday Times Oct 5, 1997)
A 1997 article in which Waldemar Januszczak, working with Dr. Kasia Pisarek, dramatically questioned the authenticity of the Samson and Delilah, closing “The one thing all we doubters agree on is that the painting bought by the Gallery for a staggering sum in 1980 is not by Rubens.” Despite this strident attack on the painting, he has since apparently changed his mind.
This longer list of articles pre-2009, both for and against the attribution will be added to with more recent articles, and links will be provided as we receive them.
Theo Toebosch, NRC (Wednesday, January 2, 2008)
Is 'Samson en Delila' nu wel of geen Rubens?
Derek Blyth, Flanders Today (Friday, November 23, 2007)
"Exhibition - A Rubens comes home: Disputed masterpiece hangs above fireplace once more"
Dalya Alberge, The Times (Saturday, April 1, 2006)
"My What a fabulous Rubens. Is it real?"
Edward M. Gomez, Salon.com (Sunday, December 18, 2005)
'Is "Samson and Delilah" a fake?'
Souren Melikian, International Herald Tribune (Friday, November 25, 2005)
'The versatile Rubens, in art and life'
Richard Cork, New Statesman (Monday, November 7, 2005)
'Blood, babies and guts'
John Molyneux, Socialist Worker (Saturday, November 5, 2005)
'Rubens — his brush was the sword of counter revolution'
Andrew Lambirth, The Spectator (Saturday, November 5, 2005)
'Full-blooded drama'
Waldemar Januszczak, The Australian (Thursday, November 3, 2005)
'And his world was made flesh'
David Jaffe, The Guardian (Wednesday, November 2, 2005)
'Right of Reply'
Kate Kellaway, The Observer (Sunday, October 30, 2005)
'Hear the energy'
Brian Sewell, Evening Standard (Thursday, October 27, 2005)
'Made by drudgery, theft and networking'
Martina Smit, This is local London (Thursday, October 27, 2005)
'Master Rubens, the 'great thief''
William Packer, The Financial Times (Wednesday, October 26, 2005)
'Rubens the master draughtsman'
Zoe Quinn, 24 Hour Museum (Wednesday, October 26, 2005)
'RUBENS: A MASTER IN THE MAKING AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY'
Arts Section, BBC News Online (Tuesday, October 25, 2005)
'Rare Rubens drawing goes on show'
Richard Dorment, The Telegraph (Tuesday, October 25, 2005)
'What's so great about Rubens?'
Waldemar Januszczak, The Sunday Times Magazine (Sunday, October 23, 2005)
'The art of excess'
Simon Schama, The Guardian (Saturday, October 22, 2005)
'Flesh and fury'
Barry Didcock, The Sunday Herald (Sunday, October 16, 2005)
'From Rubens to Rankin: why artists love bare naked ladies'
Maev Kennedy, The Guardian (Monday, October 10, 2005)
'Move to return masterpiece to Antwerp after National Gallery show'
Michael Daley, Art Review (Thursday, June 1, 2000)
‘The back is where it’s at’
Jeevan Vasagar, The Guardian (Monday, May 22, 2000)
'Case of restored panel spices row over Rubens’
Jessica Smerin, New Statesman (Friday, March 20, 1998)
‘Speculation is no guarantee of accumulation’, New Statesman, London, 20 Mar.1998
Martin Village, The Sunday Times (Tuesday, October 14, 1997)
‘Age and Delilah’
Waldemar Januszczak, The Sunday Times (Sunday, October 5, 1997)
‘A Rubens or a costly copy?’
Waldemar Januszczak and John Harlow, The Sunday Times (Sunday, October 5, 1997)
‘Rubens could be fake’
Xavier Goossens, La Libre Belgique (Thursday, December 26, 1996)
‘La National Gallery commence mal l’annee’ (‘The National Gallery begins the year badly’)
Dalya Alberge, The Times (Thursday, September 26, 1996)
‘Artists raise fresh doubts on gallery’s Rubens masterpiece’
Mike Daley, Art Review (Tuesday, September 3, 1996)
‘Rubens …or not’
Arnout Balis, The Times, Letters Page (Tuesday, July 16, 1996)
‘Rubens attribution’
Brian Sewell, The Evening Standard (Thursday, July 4, 1996)
‘It’s a real Rubens, make no mistake’
Jojo Moyes, The Independent (Sunday, June 23, 1996)
‘When a Rubens is not a Rubens’
Brian Appleyard, The Independent (Thursday, June 20, 1996)
‘Beware of mad art disease’
Dalya Alberge, The Times (Tuesday, March 19, 1996)
‘National Gallery Rubens is put to the tree-ring test’
Andrew Graham-Dixon, The Independent (Tuesday, March 19, 1991)
‘The hair apparent'