The Good Samaritan n.d.

This drawing, “The Good Samaritan,” of unknown date and authorship, is rendered in pen and brown ink with brown wash over graphite. The image depicts the parable of the Good Samaritan, a story that questions social prejudices. Here we see a Samaritan tending to a wounded traveler, a figure who would have been considered an outsider in the social context of the parable’s origin. How might the artist have understood this story? What was the message they were trying to convey through it? To answer these questions, we might consider the prevailing social norms and religious beliefs of the time and place in which the artwork was created. Comparing the social context of the work with the social context of the parable would be key. We might examine historical documents, religious texts, and other cultural artifacts to gain a deeper understanding of the drawing’s meaning and significance. By doing so, we can appreciate the ways in which art serves as a reflection of and a commentary on the society in which it is created.