The National Gallery in the United Kingdom has once again faced allegations that the 'Samson and Delilah' by Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) is a forgery, reported The Guardian and The Times on the 17th (local time).
'Samson and Delilah' is an oil painting depicting the biblical character Delilah betraying Samson. It is believed to have been created around 1609-1610 and measures 205 cm in width and 185 cm in height.
The National Gallery purchased this work for £2.5 million at a Christie's auction in 1980. This equates to approximately 18.5 billion won in current currency value. However, the authenticity controversy has persisted since then.
In particular, the painting disappeared from public view in the late 17th century and reemerged only in 1929. It was also suspected after it was revealed that German art historian Ludwig Burckhardt, who deemed it a work by Rubens, had misattributed many works for commercial purposes after his death in 1960.
In addition to criticisms that the brushwork is crude and the coloring is rough, the anatomical depiction of Samson was also deemed unnatural. Some experts suggested that this work might be a copy from the 20th century.
The fact that modern plywood is affixed to the back adds to the suspicion. The National Gallery first publicly mentioned this plywood two years after the purchase, in a board meeting in 1982 and a technical report the following year in 1983. The exhibition catalog of the 1990s stated, 'It was fixed to a new plywood before the gallery purchased it in 1980.'
Recently, there was also conflicting testimony regarding the timing of the plywood's installation. Christopher Brown, a former curator at the National Gallery, initially claimed that the gallery attached the plywood but later changed his position, expressing trust in the gallery's explanation.
Katarzyna Krzyżagórska-Pisarrek, a Rubens expert from Poland, noted, 'They (the museum) do not want a discussion because we present arguments that are impossible to answer.'
In response, the National Gallery dismissed the forgery allegations, stating, 'Samson and Delilah has long been recognized as a masterpiece by Rubens, and there has not been a single Rubens expert who doubts its authenticity.'