IT HAS become the "official" portrait of Bonnie Prince Charlie, regarded by the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography as the best likeness of the Jacobite hero.
In 1609-10 Rubens painted his Samson and Delilah. In 1980 the National Gallery in London paid a near record sum for what they believed to be the same painting. Controversy has raged ever since, but whether it is genuine or not, what is most fascinating is the gulf dividing its supporters from its detractors: it's been called Rubens' greatest masterpiece, and it's been called rubbish. Meanwhile, it has been named as one of only 30 'highlight paintings' in the national collection and is the centrepiece of a major new Rubens exhibition "A Master in the Making" - perfect timing, we think, for a review of the available evidence and an opening up of a narrow debate to an all-important audience: the public in Britain who own the painting, and lovers of Rubens around the world. As we have shown in the flash movie, we believe that the balance of evidence weighs strongly against the attribution. However, in the absence of conclusive proof either way, we simply ask that you review the facts, examine the painting, and let us know how you see it. after Rubens: The Strange Story of the Samson and Delilah
after Rubens: The Strange Story of the Samson and Delilah
