Christ and the Samaritan Woman

Benvenuto Tisi da Garofalo painted this Christ and the Samaritan Woman around 1500 in Ferrara. The Gospel encounter at the well was a popular subject allowing artists to depict the dialogue between Christ and the Samaritan woman. Garofalo's treatment combines Ferrarese drawing with the coloristic warmth he learned during his Roman sojourn. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique. Such devotional panels served both liturgical contexts in churches and chapels and private devotional use in the homes of wealthy families who maintained personal altars and oratories.

Oil on panel with Garofalo's characteristic blend of Ferrarese precision and Roman coloristic warmth. The well setting and the two figures' interaction are rendered with attention to the narrative moment.