Go and do likewise
Hand-painted icon of the Good Samaritan
A man goes down from Jerusalem to Jericho, falls among robbers and is left half dead by the road. A priest and a Levite pass by on the other side; a Samaritan stops, is moved with compassion, tends his wounds and takes him to an inn (Luke 10:25-37).
Christ, the true Samaritan
The Fathers of the Church read the parable as the story of salvation: the wounded man is humanity, the Samaritan is Christ bending over it, the oil and wine are the sacraments, the inn is the Church. This is why in icons the Samaritan often has the face and cross-inscribed halo of Christ.
One of the oldest depictions of this reading is in Italy, in the Rossano Purple Codex, a 6th-century Gospel book kept in Calabria and recognised by UNESCO as Memory of the World.
Who it is a fitting gift for
It is the icon of those who care for others: doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, volunteers, charitable associations. It is a meaningful gift for the opening of a surgery, a clinic or a shelter, and for the retirement of someone who has devoted their life to care. Like every icon from the atelier, it is fully gilded with 23¾ karat gold, with inscriptions in Greek or Latin, and is commissioned with an offering proportionate to the time and materials of the work.
Frequently asked questions
How many figures does the Good Samaritan icon have?
At least two, the Samaritan and the wounded man; the horse, the innkeeper and, in the distance, the priest and the Levite can be added.