The Good Samaritan, after Delacroix 1890

Vincent van Gogh made this painting, The Good Samaritan, after Delacroix, with oil on canvas. Painted while institutionalized, Van Gogh transforms Delacroix’s original scene into a personal statement. The story of the Good Samaritan is rooted in compassion, an act of humanity transcending social divides. Van Gogh himself sought solace in such acts of kindness, perhaps seeing himself in the figure of the marginalized Samaritan. His mental health struggles deeply influenced his artistic vision. He once wrote about seeking to express the terrible things in life. The expressive brushwork here conveys an emotional intensity, the figures rendered with palpable empathy. Van Gogh doesn't just retell a biblical story; he reimagines it through the lens of his own suffering and longing for connection. Through this work, Van Gogh invites us to contemplate the capacity for compassion that exists within ourselves.