Salomon de BrayDutch, 1597–1664Samson with the Jawbone
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Samson with the Jawbone” now? Collection: J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. Not on view at present. Checked October 7, 2026.
Los Angeles, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
Holding the jawbone as his attribute, Samson looks upward, perhaps to God. The great strongman slew a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of an ass (Judges 15:19). Overcome by thirst, he then drank from the rock at Lechi, a name that also means "jawbone" in Hebrew. Due to a mistaken translation in the Dutch Bible, some artists depicted Samson with a jawbone, rather than the rock, issuing water. Salomon de Bray used a clear light, plain background, and a half-length composition, showing his awareness of the artistic conventions of the Utrecht Caravaggisti. *Samson with the Jawbone* shares the same size, medium, and composition with [*David with His Sword*](http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/538/salomon-de-bray-david-with-his-sword-dutch-1636/); they were probably intended as pendants or companions in a series of Old Testament heroes.
J. Paul Getty Museum
Details
- Accession number
- 69.PA.23
In the catalog
Sources
- J. Paul Getty Museum
- Image: J. Paul Getty Museum — Open Content
