Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This early example of reverse glass painting may have been one of a series with scenes from the life of Jesus. The subject is a rarely depicted episode from the Gospel of John in which Jesus converses with a woman from Samaria. Their encounter was unexpected since, as Saint John said, “Jews do not associate with Samaritans.” As a result of their conversation, the woman became convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. The glass panel, originally from an altar or pulpit, was part of a series depicting the life of Christ.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the WellJesus and the Samaritan Woman at the WellJesus and the Samaritan Woman at the WellJesus and the Samaritan Woman at the WellJesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.