The Triumph of Samson
by RENI, Guido, Oil on canvas, 260 x 223 cm
The unusual shape of the canvas is a reminder of its original use as a chimney-breast cover. The well balanced figure of the hero slaking his thirst after his victory is set against a dramatic landscape littered as far as the eye can see with the corpses of his enemies.
Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 12 minutes):
George Frideric Handel: Samson, Part 1 Sinfonia, recitative and chorus