Samson Slaying a Thousand Men with the Jawbone of an Ass 16th-17th century

Curator: This is Anton Wierix II's "Samson Slaying a Thousand Men with the Jawbone of an Ass," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. What strikes you first? Editor: The sheer violence! The bodies piled on top of each other, the chaos of the battle. It’s a brutal scene. Curator: Indeed. It depicts the biblical story of Samson, using a single, humble weapon to overcome a vast enemy. The jawbone here isn’t just a weapon, it’s a symbol of resourcefulness, of turning disadvantage into overwhelming power. Editor: But isn't that also the problem? That violence is the answer, that power justifies itself, that his rage is righteous. Who are the Philistines in this context? Curator: The symbolic weight shifts depending on the viewer, doesn’t it? Wierix has offered a powerful image. Editor: A powerful image, yes, and one that leaves me unsettled. Violence as spectacle, justified by faith or power—it’s a dangerous narrative. Curator: The potency of symbols to be both inspiring and deeply troubling, I think, is part of the point. Editor: Exactly. And why we need to keep questioning the stories we tell, and how we tell them.