Christ and the Woman who Believed

This 1724 Christ and the Woman Who Believed in the Royal Collection depicts a moment of faith and recognition from the Gospels—one of the encounters in which Christ's identity is revealed through trust and healing. Ricci treats such intimate Gospel scenes with characteristic warmth and directness, avoiding both the theatricality of his large altarpieces and the decorative lightness of his mythological canvases. The work dates to his final decade, when Ricci—having returned to Venice after extensive European travels—was consolidating his reputation as the city's leading painter. The Royal Collection's holding documents the sustained British appreciation for his religious as well as mythological work acquired during and after his London years.

The encounter between Christ and the believing woman is rendered with Ricci's characteristic emphasis on gesture and facial expression, the warm palette creating an atmosphere of spiritual intimacy.