Christ and the Woman of Samaria 1715 - 1720

Benedetto Luti captured this scene with oil on canvas. It shows Christ meeting the Samaritan woman at the well, a powerful symbol of spiritual encounter. Notice the well itself, a source of life, and the water jar the woman carries, representing daily sustenance and, metaphorically, the burdens of earthly life. But, consider too, how this scene echoes across cultures and time. Think of ancient Near Eastern water goddesses, providers of life. The well, as a symbol, reappears in countless stories as a place of meeting, revelation, and transformation. Even in contemporary cinema, the image of characters drawing water from a well evokes a similar subconscious recognition and a primitive, almost visceral connection to the act of sustaining life. Luti masterfully draws upon this wellspring of cultural memory, engaging us on a profound level as we, too, draw from the deep wells of shared human experience.