Christ and the Samaritan Woman,Duccio di Buoninsegna (c. 1260-1318)
The panel by the great medieval Sienese master, Duccio, leads us into a devotional and cultural world where the influence of Byzantine art had continued to hold sway in Europe, especially in Italy. Sienese artists admired and sought to replicate the elegance, technical precision and glowing colours typical of Byzantine art. Like many other Sienese artists, Duccio sought above all to imbue traditional subjects like Christ and the Samaritan Woman with a haunting beauty that derived from Byzantine art. In this painting Duccio depicts the encounter between Christ and the unnamed woman with simplicity and solemnity. Christ appears seated on a fine marble well. The woman who stands opposite him engages directly with Christ in conversation. Duccio suggests the intimacy and respectfulness of this encounter between two people, who in that society have no business speaking together. Both Christ and the woman stand a little apart from each other. Note, however, how after the man and the woman have established contact through shared glances and gestures this action appears to collapse the physical (and temporal?) space which separates not only Christ and the woman from one another but also separates us from this moment. We observe that the woman carries a jar on her head as well as a metal pot which was used to draw water from the well. It is unclear which moment of the meeting Duccio has portrayed. Has the woman just arrived or is she about to return to her village to spread the news of her life-changing encounter? Duccio gives us a clue in the detail of the apostles, who are depicted returning with food at the right of the scene. The figures in the front hold loaves of bread in their cloaks. The disciples return with food for the body; the woman leaves with the gift of eternal life.
Art Guide Resource
The 2013 Art Guide has been compiled by Claire Renkin, well-known Art Historian and Lecturer at Yarra Theological Union and narrated by Margaret Coffey. Margaret has a background in historical research, journalism, education and broadcasting including at the ABC. Artworks featured © Bridgeman Images.
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