The Good Samaritan

The Good Samaritan of 1849 treats the New Testament parable with the dramatic intensity characteristic of Delacroix's religious painting. By the late 1840s, Delacroix had completed major decorative cycles at the Palais Bourbon and the Luxembourg Palace, establishing himself as France's foremost mural painter. His treatment of religious subjects combined Baroque dramatic composition with Romantic emotional intensity, creating a distinctive synthesis admired by both conservatives and progressives.

The composition draws on Baroque prototypes while employing Delacroix's characteristically vibrant palette and energetic brushwork. The muscular figure of the Samaritan is modeled with dynamic chiaroscuro, demonstrating the artist's lifelong study of Rubens and the Venetian masters.