Samson and Delilah Rubens (1 Viewer)

[blaster]

This was the piece that I have been working on these past couple of weeks. Rubens painted figures are really substantial and full of energy. I thought that this was an easy piece to move on from the Susanna and the Elders piece. The scene here is contained within a room and I can experiment more with forced perspectives. I'll also be adding lights to this piece. Again, a small shadow box footprint.

Total of 7 figures in this scene. I am trying to take as much liberties as I can with using commercial pieces in my sculpting and conversions.

I've already added a bed post behind Delilah. Refined the drapery a bit more. Most of the four main figures are completed. Now focusing on the furtive soldiers in the background.

 

[Obee]

Victor,

thanks for letting us know the answer to your latest vignette, it was one I didn't know, even though I have visited that famous gallery a number of time, this particular painting wasn't in my 'memory bank' .

I look forward to seeing your masterpiece come to life in the coming weeks,

John

 

[blaster]

Hi John,

Don’t blame you. If not for my searching for a compact genre painting, I won't necessarily pay particular attention to this painting. Anyway, I always search for the obscure so no one can really find fault with my work. hahaha.

I read that even other great contemporary artists of his time didn't think much of this painting, referring to the dirty shadows. But many art critics nowadays grade this as one of his top masterpieces.

I like the theme, and it follows on from my Susanna and the Elders Old Testament stories. I also like doing figures set out of context. Renaissance painting with wrong costumes and settings for the wrong period. Button counters and uniformologists really can't find fault here. More hahahha.

I've started to lay down oils on the main figures. Starting to work on the three soldiers in the background. Notice that I continue to use as much old discarded grey army stuff as is possible.

Rgds Victor

 

[blaster]

More painting done on the main figures. Some changes were made to Samson's musculature. I resculpted the old lady and the barber. The details sometimes aren't obvious at first necessitating these changes.

The background 3 soldiers have become 4 soldiers. Now sculpting the "armour" on them.

Also I've sculpted a background worship deity and am now finishing it to add to the wall.

 

[blaster]

I've resculpted the headdress of the old woman. Also touched up the left hand of the barber.
The bed drapery has also been reworked extensively. The feet of Samson and Delilah have been improved and I've added a flame to the light at the bedpost.

Completed the 4 soldiers in the background. Notice that 2 of them are significantly smaller.

 

[blaster]

Now waiting for the main piece to dry and I've started to paint the other figures.

Also further resculpted the religious icon on the wall and the barber's hand and trousers.

Starting to work on the internal scene and walls.

 

[blaster]

After that trek to the wild west, back to this piece.

I built up the interior scene with forced perspectives and staged the figures with the frame in place.

It was pretty obvious that the background figures would have to be resized to be more in proportion to the overall scene. Hence I drilled and lengthened the legs of these figures and re-staged the scene.

I also sculpted in drapery from the bed hangings. I painted the scene in brown and blue matt enamels.

 

[Obee]

Victor,

that is coming on nicely and will be 'yet again' another masterpiece.

I was wondering if you can top this one, but positioning your vignette on the wall of an even bigger diorama,

where it is seen hanging above the mantlepiece in Frans Francken's "Banquet at the House of Burgomaster Rockox" (between 1630 and 1635) ????????

John

 

[Louis Badolato]

Thinking big, John (but not outside the box, just inside a bigger box)!

 

[blaster]

Hi John,

A terrific find! But a herculean task for me....

Thinking outside the box? That's a new perspective for us shadowbox operators...hahaha.

I sculpted more on the drapery, which I have deduced are bed hangings. The height and pose of the furtive soldier is nearly completed.

Rgds Victor

 

[blaster]

Here are the 4 soldiers. I've painted their armour in gloss black.

 

[Obee]

Here are the 4 soldiers. I've painted their armour in gloss black.

Looking good

John

 

[blaster]

Hi John,

After making further minor corrections to the sculpt, I finally started to finalise the painting of the main piece, focusing on Delillah.

Rgds Victor

 

[blaster]

Now painting Samson and Delilah's dress. Also the old woman with a candle.

 

[blaster]

Painted the patterns on the mattress rug. The interior scene was also painted.

 

[blaster]

I gave Delilah 'Bette Davis' eyes. I tightened up the painting on her and the mattress, repainting the patterns to fit the original as much as possible.

 

[blaster]

Finally I've attached Mr Seville to the couple by a couple of wire inserts drilled into his legs. These were then inserted into the bed frame.

 

[blaster]

I added the old woman to the main group with inserted wire to carefully juxtapose here between Delilah and the barber. This was placed inside the scene to test for placement. Two soldiers have already been attached inside the scene. Another two are being finalised.

 

[blaster]

More painting in progress although it is not obvious in this photo. I repainted the bed hangings, highlighted the religious icon and also darkened the shadows. Probably need to darken further. Will experiment with the lighting soon.

 

[blaster]

After a long hiatus, I'm back to this piece. I have cleaned up this background pair. Cleaned up the faces, changed the hand to holding a candle and painted the armour black gloss.