Samson and the Lion

Samson’s encounter with a lion was one of the legendary Israelite hero’s earliest feats. Here, Cristoforo Stati emphasized Samson’s bulging muscles as he effortlessly tears apart the lion’s jaw. Stati studied in Florence under Flemish-born artist Jean de Boulogne, called Giambologna. In 1601 Ferdinando I de’ Medici, Archduke of Tuscany, sent a sculpture of Samson by Giambologna as a diplomatic gift to the Duke of Lerma, the prime minister of Spain. After that work traveled from Florence to Lerma’s palace in Valladolid, the duke sought another scene to pair with it and commissioned Giambologna’s follower, Stati. In the ensuing years, the Spanish capital moved from Valladolid back to Madrid, where the sculpture seen here was installed. Stati created the twisting figures to complement the work of his mentor, who favored compositions meant to be viewed from all sides.