Christ and the Woman of Samaria: an Arched Print
Medium
etching and drypoint
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Philip Hofer
Accession Number
1941.3.14
Art Historical Context
In Rembrandt van Rijn's *Christ and the Woman of Samaria: an Arched Print*1658), the Dutch Baroque master captures a pivotal biblical moment from the Gospel of John. Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, offering her "living water" in a dialogue that transcends social and ethnic divides. Created late in Rembrandt's career, arched etching reflects his profound interest in human emotion and spirituality, rendered with intimate psychological depth characteristic of his mature style. Rembrandt's mastery shines through the etching and drypoint technique. Etching provides precise line...
About the Artist
Rembrandt van Rijn · 1606–1669
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606–1669) stands as one of the greatest visual artists in the history of Western art and the most important Dutch painter of the 17th century. Born in Leiden to a prosperous miller's family, Rembrandt transformed painting through his revolutionary use of light and shadow, his psychological depth in portraiture, and his elevation of etching to a fine art. His approx...