Christ and the Woman of Samaria

Lucas van Leyden · 1521/1523
National Gallery of Art, Washington

Lucas van Leyden cut this small woodcut around 1521–23, late in his life. It is simple and clear: two figures, a well and a town.

Jesus sits at the well with a halo and speaks. The Samaritan woman holds the bucket on its rope, her jug at her feet. On the hill at the right, the disciples come back from the town.

From the text

Jesus, weary from His journey, sat down by the well (John 4:6)

A Samaritan woman came to draw water: “Give Me a drink” (John 4:7)

His disciples returned and were surprised (John 4:27)

The artist’s own

A well with a wheel, rope and bucket like those of Lucas’s country

A walled town with a tall tower

Details

Jesus

He sits at the well and speaks.

The woman

She holds the bucket on its rope over her jug.

The jug

Her water jug at her feet.

The disciples

They come back over the hill.

Lucas van Leyden, Netherlandish, c. 1489/94–1533. National Gallery of Art, Washington (Rosenwald Collection, 1943.3.5698) · Woodcut · NGA Open Access: "Images of these works are available free of charge for any use, commercial or non-commercial, under Creative Commons Zero (CC0)." (NGA open data: published_images.csv openaccess = 1)

The verses

John 4:5–9So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Since Jacob’s well was there, Jesus, weary from His journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) “You are a Jew,” said the woman. “How can You ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

John 4:27Just then His disciples returned and were surprised that He was speaking with a woman. But no one asked Him, “What do You want from her?” or “Why are You talking with her?”