Artwork
The Good Samaritan Paying the Innkeeper
The Good Samaritan Paying the Innkeeper is a print by the Baroque artist Jan van de Velde. It dates from 1628 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The composition centers on three figures in the foreground, with a wounded traveler being assisted while the Samaritan prepares to pay the innkeeper.
Created in 1628, this etching by Jan van de Velde II captures a moment from the biblical Parable of the Good Samaritan. The composition centers on three figures in the foreground, with a wounded traveler being assisted while the Samaritan prepares to pay the innkeeper. The work reflects the artist’s early‑17th‑century Dutch context and his broader output in animal, landscape, and still‑life subjects.
Subject & Meaning
The print visualises the Samaritan’s act of charity, emphasizing the exchange of payment for care. By placing the wounded man, the helper, and the paying Samaritan together, van de Velde underscores the moral of compassion toward strangers. The inclusion of a distant gallows and a burning thatched building adds a sense of societal peril, reinforcing the narrative’s call for mercy amid hardship.
Technique & Style
Executed as an etching, the image relies on crisp, linear incisions that generate stark chiaroscuro. Darkened areas contrast sharply with lighter passages, heightening the drama typical of early Baroque sensibilities. The crowded foreground and detailed background elements—such as the hanging figure and the flames—demonstrate van de Velde’s skill in rendering complex scenes within a relatively small print format.
History & Provenance
Jan van de Velde II, a member of a prominent Dutch artistic family, produced this work during the height of the Dutch Golden Age. Though primarily known for animal and still‑life prints, this biblical subject illustrates his versatility. The etching has circulated among collectors of 17th‑century Dutch prints and is documented in several museum inventories, confirming its attribution to van de Velde’s workshop.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan van de Velde the younger (1593 – c. 1 November 1641) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker, mostly of animal, landscape and still-life subjects. He was the son of Jan van de Velde the Elder and the father of…
