Le Bon Samaritain
Artist: Rodolphe Bresdin (French, 1822-1885)
Date: 1861, printed probably 1867
Dimensions:
Overall: 22 1/4 x 17 3/8 in. (56.5 x 44.2 cm)
Medium: Lithograph
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1982.214
Label Text:Exhibited in the Salon of 1861 as Abd-el-Kader Aiding a Christian, this lithograph was a major success. The year before it was made, an Algerian chieftain, Abd-el-Kader, brought thousands of Christians under his personal protection during fierce religious warfare in Syria, including the French Consul. R0dolph Bresdin was, like many others, inspired by this act of kindness. Later renamed The Good Samaritan, the print became Bresdin’s best-known work largely due to its size, intricate technique, and wealth of detail.
A solitary eccentric, Bresdin was greatly influenced by the novels of James Fenimore Cooper (1789–1851), such as The Last of the Mohicans. Like the American author, Bresdin often focused on the theme of a noble man’s journey in an increasingly corrupt world. In this print, the mysterious forest setting, with exotic animals partially hidden among the leaves, represents unspoiled nature. The exceptional degree of detail, tonal range, and wide variety of textures in this print legitimized lithography as an artistic medium worthy of a great master.
The parable of the Good Samaritan appears in the Bible, in the Gospel of Luke (10:25-37). After a Jewish traveler gets robbed, beaten, and left by the roadside, others pass his injured body unconcerned. Although Samaritans were known anti-Semites, this man stops to help the wounded traveler.
Surrounded by lush landscape filled with real and fantastic creatures, the two gentlemen are overwhelmed by their surroundings. Bresdin reminds viewers that people are always in need, though not in the most obvious of places.
Known for lavish attention to detail, Bresdin also exhibits an inclination for placing traditional stories in fantastic settings. His approach greatly influenced his contemporary Charles Méryon and his student Odilon Redon, two artists included in this exhibition.
A solitary eccentric, Bresdin was greatly influenced by the novels of James Fenimore Cooper (1789–1851), such as The Last of the Mohicans. Like the American author, Bresdin often focused on the theme of a noble man’s journey in an increasingly corrupt world. In this print, the mysterious forest setting, with exotic animals partially hidden among the leaves, represents unspoiled nature. The exceptional degree of detail, tonal range, and wide variety of textures in this print legitimized lithography as an artistic medium worthy of a great master.
The parable of the Good Samaritan appears in the Bible, in the Gospel of Luke (10:25-37). After a Jewish traveler gets robbed, beaten, and left by the roadside, others pass his injured body unconcerned. Although Samaritans were known anti-Semites, this man stops to help the wounded traveler.
Surrounded by lush landscape filled with real and fantastic creatures, the two gentlemen are overwhelmed by their surroundings. Bresdin reminds viewers that people are always in need, though not in the most obvious of places.
Known for lavish attention to detail, Bresdin also exhibits an inclination for placing traditional stories in fantastic settings. His approach greatly influenced his contemporary Charles Méryon and his student Odilon Redon, two artists included in this exhibition.
Not on view
In Collection(s)