The Wedding of Samson

By 1638 Rembrandt was the most sought-after portraitist in Amsterdam, newly married and painting for the city's richest merchants. Here he set that worldly confidence to work on an Old Testament feast. The moment comes from a single line in the Book of Judges: at his own wedding banquet, Samson turns to his 30 Philistine guests and poses them a riddle, wagering 30 linen garments on whether they can solve it. Rembrandt lights the bride at the centre in bright silks while Samson leans aside into shadow, mid-gesture, counting the riddle off on his fingers. The long table and the tumbled guests spread out under warm light that falls unevenly, leaving half the company in near-darkness.