Barmhartige samaritaan 1849

Rodolphe Bresdin made this print, "Barmhartige samaritaan," using etching and possibly other techniques common to printmaking. Bresdin created this work during a time when Europe was grappling with industrialization and urbanization, leading to increased social inequalities. The "Good Samaritan" parable, a story of compassion transcending social boundaries, resonated deeply in this context. Bresdin was an outsider who experienced financial hardship throughout his life. It is no surprise that he chooses this scene of human compassion as his subject. The print depicts a landscape with two figures, one tending to the other, echoing the biblical tale. The use of light and shadow heightens the drama, drawing us into this intimate act of care. Though rooted in religious narrative, it speaks to universal themes of empathy and social responsibility.