Christ and the Woman of Samaria 1828

Curator: Here we have George Richmond’s "Christ and the Woman of Samaria," currently held at the Tate. Editor: It’s striking how Richmond presents this scene; the woman seems lost in thought, almost melancholic. Curator: Indeed. Richmond seems to emphasize the social disruption inherent in this encounter. He painted during a period of significant social and religious upheaval, and there was much debate about the role of women and how scripture was interpreted. Editor: The well itself—the literal wellspring—becomes a potent symbol, representing spiritual nourishment and the breaking down of social barriers. The woman's downcast eyes and languid posture suggest an interior transformation, a profound encounter with the divine. Curator: I agree. Richmond presents us not just with a biblical scene, but with a lens into Victorian anxieties about faith and social change. Editor: Richmond prompts us to reconsider the weight of symbolic encounters in shaping individual and collective identities.