concept

David steals a spear and jug from Saul, who lies deep in a sleep imposed by God. Engraving.

Joseph's brothers show his coat, apparently soaked in his blood, to Jacob, who mourns. Etching.

Delilah caresses the sleeping Samson as she sets her barber to work. Engraving by J.B. de Poilly after F. Verdier, 1698.

Judith with a sword holding the head of Holofernes. Mezzotint by A. von Prenner after A. Varotari, il Padovanino, ca. 1720.

A toothdrawer concealing the key from the patient. Oil painting by Luciano Nezzo.

Subtle the alchemist, posing as an astrologer, being visited by Abel Drugger, in Ben Jonson's 'The alchemist'. Engraving by C. Grignion, 1791, after J. Graham.

The fallibility of the senses: above, justice, fame and deceit; below, doctors conducting an autopsy on a cadaver, surrounded by onlookers. Engraving, 1692.

A itinerant medicine vendor demonstrating a deceptive illusion to an audience, he is pretending to burn a man's back and then use ointment to clear up the burns, in order to sell his wares. Etching.

A French tooth-drawer wearing a turban and pretending to be Turkish in order to attract clients, holding a large tooth and an enormous tooth extractor. Engraving by N. Dupuis after F. Eisen.

Judith puts the head of Holofernes into her maid's bag. Etching (?) after H. Goltzius.

Bible. Apocrypha. Judith. Judith, a beautiful Judean widow, infiltrates the camp of the Assyrian army that is besieging her city and seduces the chief captain, Holofernes. She beheads him after he has collapsed into a drunken sleep

1 print : etching (?) ; image 13.1 x 10.1  cm

Bible. N.T. Matthew 26.69-75; Mark 14.66-72; Luke 22.54-62; John 18.17-27. The ace of spades lies at the top of the deck of playing cards. On the wall by the fire hangs a handkerchief next to a mark on the wall: a line intersected at right angles by three smaller lines. Above the fire is a candle next to a perched cockerel, sign of Peter's betrayal as predicted by Christ. On the other side of the room four soldiers move to leave; the first one carries a large flag

1 print : line engraving, with etching ; image 23.4 x 33.3 cm

Peter denies knowledge of Christ; men play cards. Engraving by R. Delaunay after Marchais after D. Teniers.

Psychiatry : the science of lies / Thomas Szasz.

Faith is seated in the centre. Around her are four enemies. On the left, Death aims an arrow at her, but Faith in response holds out her hand inscribed with the name of Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew characters), because Jesus had cancelled out the sin of Adam and thereby conquered death. In the left foreground, Schism or Heresy, arguing from the text of a book, has the appearance of an angel but from behind can be seen to have a skull and the body of a snake attached to her belt: Faith's defense is a shield with a cross on it, as the shape of the cross is a union of separate parts. In the right foreground, a woman representing the World and worldly values offers wine from a cup, holds a chest of coins, exposes her breasts and has luxuries on the ground in front of her: Faith resists with the rewards of martyrdom which two angels confer on her; between them the name of God appears in Hebrew characters (Yahweh, in the form of the Tetragrammaton). On the right, Satan brandishes torches representing violence, murder and cruelty: Faith responds from her heart, where the Holy Ghost appears. Behind Faith, two trees: on the left an oak, on the right a palm, representing the Old and New Testaments

1 print : line engraving ; image 28.8 x 34.1 cm

A woman beleaguered by four enemies; representing Faith resisting Death, Schism, the World and the Devil. Engraving by Hieronymus Wierix after Maarten de Vos, 156-.

This episode does not occur in the Bible's account of the life of Samson

Histoire de Samson

Verdier, François, 1651-1730.

1 print : line engraving with stipple ; platemark 16.1 x 21.3 cm.

The shorn Samson is rebuffed by Delilah. Engraving by C. Simonneau after F. Verdier, 1698.

Galleries and Reading Room

Library

Shop

Café

We’re undertaking research with website visitors to find out some more about you and what you thought about your visit. This survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete. Thank you for your time!

Wellcome uses cookies.

Deception

Images

Catalogue

Judith puts the head of Holofernes into her maid's bag. Etching (?) after H. Goltzius.

Peter denies knowledge of Christ; men play cards. Engraving by R. Delaunay after Marchais after D. Teniers.

Psychiatry : the science of lies / Thomas Szasz.

A woman beleaguered by four enemies; representing Faith resisting Death, Schism, the World and the Devil. Engraving by Hieronymus Wierix after Maarten de Vos, 156-.

The shorn Samson is rebuffed by Delilah. Engraving by C. Simonneau after F. Verdier, 1698.

Wellcome uses cookies.

Deception

Images

Catalogue

Judith puts the head of Holofernes into her maid's bag. Etching (?) after H. Goltzius.

Peter denies knowledge of Christ; men play cards. Engraving by R. Delaunay after Marchais after D. Teniers.

Psychiatry : the science of lies / Thomas Szasz.

A woman beleaguered by four enemies; representing Faith resisting Death, Schism, the World and the Devil. Engraving by Hieronymus Wierix after Maarten de Vos, 156-.

The shorn Samson is rebuffed by Delilah. Engraving by C. Simonneau after F. Verdier, 1698.

Wellcome Collection

Today’s opening times