Samson at the Mill, from "Dalziels' Bible Gallery" 1865 - 1881

This wood engraving is titled "Samson at the Mill," and was created by Frederic Leighton as part of "Dalziels' Bible Gallery." Leighton, as president of the Royal Academy, was a significant figure in the British art establishment; here, he illustrates a scene from the Book of Judges. The image depicts a fallen Samson, now powerless and humiliated, forced to grind grain in a Philistine prison. It’s impossible to ignore the racialized dynamics at play. Samson, a figure of strength, is subjugated, and there's a clear power dynamic shown through the taskmaster's stance and the dark coloring of Samson's skin. This imagery, produced in the context of Victorian England, where debates about race, colonialism, and slavery were pervasive, is deeply unsettling. Leighton’s portrayal invites us to consider how biblical narratives can be, and have been, used to reinforce ideas about dominance and otherness. The weight of the millstone, the shame of defeat—Leighton captures a moment of profound despair. What does it mean to see a hero brought so low, and what do the visual cues of race and power add to this complex, troubling image?