Samson

Josephus Farmer, Samson, 1982, carved and painted redwood relief with rhinestones, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.242
Copied Josephus Farmer, Samson, 1982, carved and painted redwood relief with rhinestones, 27 3⁄8 x 27 3⁄4 x 1 1⁄2 in. (69.6 x 70.5 x 3.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.242

Artwork Details

Title
Samson
Artist
Date
1982
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
27 3⁄8 x 27 3⁄4 x 1 1⁄2 in. (69.6 x 70.5 x 3.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
Mediums
Mediums Description
carved and painted redwood relief with rhinestones
Classifications
Subjects
  • Religion — Old Testament — Samson
  • Religion — Old Testament — Delilah
  • Animal — lion
  • Religion — Old Testament — Eve
  • Religion — Old Testament — Jeremiah
  • Religion — Old Testament — Adam
  • Emblem — cross
Object Number
1986.65.242
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1986.65.242

Artwork Description

Josephus Farmer was a devout Apostolic Christian who often used biblical stories to encourage people to repent. This painting illustrates scenes from the Old Testament, including the story of Samson and Delilah. Samson was born to defend Israel against the Philistines, but was betrayed by his young wife. The image of Samson battling with a lion emphasizes his power, as described in Judges 14: “. . . he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat.” When Delilah learned that his long hair was the origin of his strength, she betrayed him to Philistine soldiers, who cut his locks. The next image shows him pointing to his hair with his devious wife looking over his shoulder. Farmer combined these images with many others, including scenes of Adam and Eve before and after the temptation. He crammed as many stories as possible onto one piece of wood to persuade people of the importance of his messages.