Christ and the Woman of Samaria [verso] c. 1600

This drawing, "Christ and the Woman of Samaria," presents us with an anonymous artist’s interpretation of a biblical encounter, rendered in ink and wash on paper. The composition divides the scene into distinct spatial realms. In the foreground, Christ and the woman are framed by the well's architecture, its vertical lines creating a sense of enclosure. Beyond them, a landscape unfolds, populated with figures and buildings that diminish in scale, suggesting depth. The artist's use of chiaroscuro intensifies this contrast, with light and shadow defining forms and directing our gaze. The figures themselves are studies in contrast. Christ, haloed and draped in flowing robes, stands opposite the woman, whose ornate attire and pose exude worldly confidence. The well, more than a mere prop, acts as a structural and symbolic fulcrum, mediating between the sacred and the secular. Through these formal devices, the drawing invites us to consider the dialogue between spiritual promise and earthly existence, a discourse that continues to resonate.