Which Rembrandt painting is known as The Blinding of Samson?

Rembrandt’s painting of Samson’s punishment by the Philistines is known as The Blinding of Samson.

Painted in 1636, the work shows soldiers attacking Samson after Delilah has betrayed him. The violent action is rendered with powerful movement, sharply contrasting light and dark, and emphatic gestures. Rembrandt’s treatment makes the biblical episode unusually immediate and theatrical.

The subject comes from the Book of Judges. Samson’s extraordinary strength depends on his uncut hair, and Delilah discovers the secret before the Philistines capture him. They blind Samson after cutting his hair, an event Rembrandt chose to depict at its most dramatic moment.

The title can be confused with Samson and Delilah, which refers more broadly to the surrounding story and to other artworks. Rembrandt’s specific painting is identified by the title The Blinding of Samson, and it is one of his major history paintings from the 1630s.