Christ and the Samaritan Woman

The scene depicts Christ's encounter with the Samaritan woman described in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John. Exhausted from his wanderings, Christ settles to rest at Jacob's well in Samaria and asks a woman drawing water there for a drink. Initially she is puzzled by the request of this non-Jewish 'stranger', but during the conversation that follows she recognizes the traveller as the Messiah. He uses the example of the water from the well as an example of temporarily relief for thirst, and explains that the water he has to offer quenches thirst forever, as it grants eternal life.

An engraving by Hans Sebald Beham provided the artist with inspiration for this scene, which concentration on the two figures in dialogue. Once settled on the edge of the well that occupies the pictorial centre, Christ instructs the Samaritan woman. She has set her vessel down and listens to his words with an earnest face and folded arms. Two further episodes of the story are visualized simultaneously: in the first at the left in the background the disciples return home with their food purchases; two of them have put the bread on the table behind the well and urge Christ to eat, while in the second on the right, the residents of Sychar - led by the Samaritan woman - hurry towards Christ, whose sermons will convert many of them to the true faith.

[Elsbeth Wiemann, [http://onlinekatalog.staatsgalerie.de/detail.jsp?id=600FAE6D44790415C7B08EBD53F383E9&img=1; 12-01-2016]