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Lazar Widmann — Samson and the Philistines in alabaster
Lazar Widmann

Samson and the Philistines in alabaster

1730

This alabaster sculpture depicts two male figures in dynamic interaction, with a bearded man standing behind and above a kneeling youth. The standing figure raises an object overhead in his right hand while his left leg strides forward, creating a sense of powerful motion. The composition is unified by interlocking forms that spiral upward, while the pale cream colored alabaster surface is carved with fine anatomical detail and polished to a subtle sheen. At the base, naturalistic elements including drapery and foliage anchor the composition. The work exemplifies 18th century European sculptural virtuosity in hardstone carving.

Medium
Alabaster
Dimensions
Location
David Zwirner 69th Street, New York, NY

Notes

From the exhibition 'Set in Stone' at David Zwirner 69th Street, NYC, May 12 to June 26, 2026, in collaboration with Galerie Kugel, Paris. Tombstone date: Czech Republic, c. 1730-1740.

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About this work

Lazar Widmann, Samson and the Philistines in alabaster, 1730

This alabaster sculpture depicts two male figures in dynamic interaction, with a bearded man standing behind and above a kneeling youth. The standing figure raises an object overhead in his right hand while his left leg strides forward, creating a sense of powerful motion. The composition is unified by interlocking forms that spiral upward, while the pale cream colored alabaster surface is carved with fine anatomical detail and polished to a subtle sheen. At the base, naturalistic elements including drapery and foliage anchor the composition. The work exemplifies 18th century European sculptural virtuosity in hardstone carving.

Medium
Alabaster
Dimensions
41.9 x 20.3 x 15.2 cm
Year
1730
Seen at
Adler Beatty, New York, NY

Related themes

Baroque Period, Dynamic Composition, Figurative Sculpture, Old Testament, Carved Stone, Alabaster Carving, Vertical Composition, Narrative Sculpture, Anatomical Detail, Historical Sculpture, Czech Sculpture, Decorative Arts, European Sculpture, Cream Colored Stone, Religious Subject, Hardstone Sculpture, Classical Mythology, 18th Century, Male Figures, Master Carving