The Good Samaritan (Le bon samaritain) 

Alphonse Legros etched this image of the Good Samaritan, a visual parable rooted in compassion. The scene depicts a vulnerable, wounded figure, sheltered beneath the symbolic presence of a horse. This recalls images of Alexander the Great with his horse Bucephalus, and other classical representations of man and horse, symbols of care. The Good Samaritan tending to the injured man isn't explicitly shown, yet his presence is palpable, felt through the act of aid, the tension of the scene highlighting the dichotomy between the abandoned and the aided. This contrast stirs deep within us, dredging up our collective memories of vulnerability and empathy. Consider the motif of the "helper." It reappears across cultures and epochs, from ancient myths to modern narratives, constantly evolving, yet fundamentally unchanged. The image taps into something primal: a shared understanding of suffering, and the instinctive drive to alleviate it. It’s a cycle we witness, reenact, and remember.