Instead of portraying anyone as ideal, the painting shows its figures in a very naturalistic way. Sampson, although his back is very muscular, is not as toned or powerful as an ideal god-like figure would be. One can see that he is covered in dirt, either from everyday working or from this particular struggle. The men attacking him are not ideal either. They represent a new interest in the common man. Instead of being depicted as young and vigorous men, they are actually older, with gray seeping through their full beards and wrinkles spreading over their hands and necks. Their clothes, in dark shades of brown and blue, are worn and tattered. This illusionism, making the scene seem so real, is another reason for its great beauty.However, the most prominent differences between Baroque art and that of the Renaissance are the high drama, the exaggerated human expressions, and the vigorous energy displayed by diagonal lines that can be seen in Baroque art. The struggle takes up almost the entire painting, truly calling all attention to it. There is no architecture or landscape in the background. Only dark blue sky can be seen. The entire scene in itself is chaotic and full of movement. Sampson's own body, the focus of the painting, makes the boldest diagonal line. His entire form is stretched out, trying to escape from his attackers and gain his ground at the same time. His extended arm grabs a Philistine's face and flows into other diagonal lines made by the Philistines' bodies. All of these lines create a sense of fast and frantic movement instead of still posing. It is as if the viewer has captured one glimpse of this horrible attack; a glimpse that would have been missed with the blink of an eye. Adding to the drama and tension of this scene are the expressions on the attacker's faces. They are grimaced in effort and show a hint of fear, with brows wrinkled, mouths snarled, and eyes wide open. The viewer can feel the emotions running thr...
