Relief based on a painting by Rubens Samson and Delilah, c. 1609

I was leafing through a book about Rembrandt and came across a picture of this painting. Immediately it occurred to me: I’m going to make a relief of that!

4Rubensplaatje0388 Anna Stringer
Rubenstekening Anna Stringer

Working drawing transferred onto walnut

I made a working drawing and transferred it to walnut. For the right proportions, I worked from a live model.

The depth is inspired by a relief in the Palace on Dam Square

For the depths, I looked at the relief the Four Judges of Quellinus in the Palace on Dam Square. I decided to let the carpet hang over the frame. For the frame, I looked at mouldings in the interior of the Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder museum. The frame is made of ebonised pearwood. I planed the frame myself with profile planing, then coloured it as if it were ebony, a technique that was also frequently used in earlier times because of the high cost of ebony. I also coloured the relief and then waxed it.

 

Rubreliefbegin Anna Stringer
AdefA6Rubenseind9859 Anna Stringer

Result

(Size: approximately 78 x 72 cm)

Client: own work

Year: 2004-2008, frame 2015

Details: the walnut is from a tree that stood in Paris. The cradle (link) comes from the same tree.