Christ Healing the Paralytic at Bethesda c. 17th century

Luca Giordano made this drawing, "Christ Healing the Paralytic at Bethesda," in the 17th century. It depicts a story from the Gospel of John, set against the backdrop of the Pool of Bethesda. Giordano, an Italian painter, lived during a time when the Catholic Church still wielded significant cultural influence. Religious themes were often intertwined with social and political messages. Notice how the artist renders the figures: Christ is often idealized, while the sick and impoverished are marked by their suffering. The drawing hints at the era’s attitudes toward disability and social exclusion. The paralytic, dependent on others, embodies vulnerability. Christ's act of healing can be seen as a challenge to the established social order, as well as an expression of compassion. Through the act of drawing, Giordano asks the viewer to consider their own relationship to suffering and to the possibility of redemption.