Good Samaritan after 1635

This is a pen and brown ink drawing of the Good Samaritan by Govert Flinck. Flinck was one of Rembrandt’s most gifted pupils, and you can see some of the master’s influence here in the confident, fluid line. The immediacy of a drawing like this puts us close to the artist’s process; we can almost imagine him rapidly sketching the scene. The controlled freedom of the lines, with their variations in thickness and tone, adds a sense of drama and immediacy to the image. The choice of pen and ink, simple materials though they are, is significant. They allowed Flinck to capture the essence of the story with minimal means. He wasn't trying to create an illusionistic depiction. Instead, he focused on the emotional connection between the figures. This directness of expression, relying on the most basic of tools, reminds us that powerful storytelling doesn't always require elaborate techniques. Sometimes, the simplest materials can convey the most profound messages.