NEO RAUCH (B. 1960)

In this lithograph Rauch depicts the story of Samson and Delilah from the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible. Delilah instructs a servant to cut her lover’s hair – the source of his supra-human strength – in his sleep, depriving him of his manly vigour. Once rendered powerless, Delilah turns Samson over to the Philistines, his archenemies. Rauch reinterprets the scene, presenting the couple in an ordinary, contemporary living room. In this conventional setting, the artist humorously questions the power of men in today’s world. His male protagonist stands on the sidelines, wide awake, while his female counterpart cuts off his symbol of power.