Barmhartige Samaritaan before 1795

This print, Barmhartige Samaritaan, was created by baron Dominique Vivant Denon. Notice how Denon uses a dense network of etched lines to build form and space. The tonal range is narrow, yet the artist masterfully creates depth through varying the density and direction of these lines. This technique not only defines the figures and architectural elements, but also evokes a sense of dramatic chiaroscuro, highlighting the key narrative elements of the scene. The composition divides the scene into distinct zones – the shadowy foreground with the Samaritan tending to the injured man, the middle ground with onlookers and animals, and a distant landscape glimpsed through an opening. This structured arrangement encourages us to read the image as a sequence of actions unfolding in space and time. Denon's technical skill and visual construction elevates a religious parable into a meditation on human compassion, emphasizing the interplay between light and shadow, and the power of line to convey both form and emotion.