Christ and the Samaritan Woman

The gospel according to St. John tells that Christ met a women at Jacob’s well in Samaria and asked her for a drink. She was very taken aback by his request as the Jews and the Samaritans were hostile to one another. However, her surprise changed to astonishment when it appeared that the man before her could see into her…

The gospel according to St. John tells that Christ met a women at Jacob’s well in Samaria and asked her for a drink. She was very taken aback by his request as the Jews and the Samaritans were hostile to one another. However, her surprise changed to astonishment when it appeared that the man before her could see into her heart. Jesus then told her about the ‘eternal water’ he could give her and revealed himself to her as the long-awaited Messiah. This subject has symbolised baptism since early Christian times. From the sixteenth century onwards the biblical story became widespread in painting. It also inspired the painter Cornelis de Vos in Antwerp to create a composition in which he combines monumentality and contemplation. We are struck by his use of warm colours and the finely depicted textiles which are characteristic of the artist’s style. The figure of Christ was inspired by the figures of Christ in the early work of Rubens, who was a friend of Cornelis de Vos. In a few details like the cherubs above Christ on the left, the head of Bacchus on the jug on the right and the half-bare breast of the Samaritan woman, De Vos indicates her ‘unchaste’ and worldly way of life.