This engraving is based on the work of Domenico Zampieri aka Domenichino(1581-1641 Italian) by Auguste Blanchard {engraver}(1819-1898 French).

Samson (/ˈsæmsən/; Hebrew: שִׁמְשׁוֹן Šīmšōn "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution of the monarchy. He is sometimes considered as an Israelite version of the popular Near Eastern folk hero also embodied by the Sumerian Gilgamesh and Enkidu, as well as the Greek Heracles.

Samson was given superhuman powers by God in the form of extreme strength.

The biblical account states that Samson was a Nazirite and that he was given immense strength to aid him against his enemies and allow him to perform superhuman feats,including slaying a lion with his bare hands and massacring a Philistine army with a donkey's jawbone after offending groomsmen at his wedding to one. The cutting of Samson's long hair would violate his Nazirite vow and nullify his ability.

Samson is betrayed by his lover Delilah, who, sent by Philistine officials to entice him,orders a servant to cut his hair while he is sleeping and turns him over to the Philistines, who gouge out his eyes and force him to mill grain at Gaza City. While there, his hair begins to grow again. When the Philistines take Samson into their temple of Dagon, Samson asks to rest against one of the support pillars. After being granted permission, he prays to God and miraculously recovers his strength, allowing him to bring down the columns – collapsing the temple and killing both himself and the Philistines. In some Jewish traditions, Samson is believed to have been buried in Zorah in Israel overlooking the Sorek valley (also considered his birthplace).

Samson has been the subject of rabbinic, Christian, and Islamic commentary, with some Christians viewing him as a type of Jesus, based on similarities between their lives. Notable depictions of Samson include John Milton's closet drama Samson Agonistes and Cecil B. DeMille's 1949 Hollywood film Samson and Delilah. Samson also plays a major role in Western art and traditions.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries Domenichino’s paintings were regarded as second only to those of Raphael, but in the mid-19th century he fell from favour. His importance as a Baroque classicist was recognized again only in the 20th century. His work is marked by lucid and balanced compositions, even and serene lighting and subdued colours, and the sober expressions and restrained gestures of its figures.

Auguste Blanchard entered the École des Beaux-Arts in 1836. Two years later, he came in second at the Prix de Rome, and went to study in Italy. He made his début at the Paris in 1840, with an engraving of Spartacus, after a painting by Domenichino.