[2] This work (and its pendant Lot and his Daughters, today in the Louvre), was painted in 1654 for Charles II, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat, and delivered in 1657.

Robinson presented it to the Strasbourg museum in 1893, as gesture of friendship towards its director, Wilhelm von Bode, who had purchased several items from his collection.

][2] Contrary to the Biblical narrative in the Book of Judges, but according to the retelling by Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews, Delilah is shown as cutting Samson's hair herself (in the Bible, a man is summoned to do this task).

The severity of the composition, the muted colors, and Delilah's sculptural profile, are characteristic of Guercino's late, classical manner.

[2] A preparatory drawing (current location unknown) depicts Delilah at half-length, with a more girlish expression and a less athletic build.