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The Good Samaritan at Guildford Cathedral

from 1 September 2009
Guildford Cathedral, Stag Hill, Guildford, Surrey

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One of Watts's great eclesiastical masterpieces is now on show in Guildford Cathedral. Positioned in the South Ambulatory of the Cathedral the work has recently benefited from a period of conservation, kindly supported by Mr Henry Jones as part of the 'Adopt a Watts' scheme. Catherine Cartwright, Curatorial Fellow at Watts Gallery discusses the painting here.

In St. Luke’s Gospel (10: 29- 37), Jesus uses the parable of the Good Samaritan to answer the question “Who is my neighbour?”

 In answering, Jesus tells the story of the Jewish man who is beaten, robbed and left for dead as he travels on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. The traveller’s fellow Jews, a Priest and a Levite, hurry by on the other side of the road but a Samaritan, a traditional enemy to the beaten man, stops to help. He takes pity, cleans and bandages up the wounds before leading the injured man to an inn where he pays for him to be looked after.

This parable is Jesus’ radical call to show mercy and compassion even to those who are different to us or enemies.

George Frederic Watts (1817- 1904) held moral and social values which had been shaped by his Christian upbringing and he aimed to make these known through his work. He painted the Good Samaritan three times in total and made several drawings of the subject. The first painted version was exhibited in 1850 and given to the city of Manchester to celebrate the local philanthropist, Thomas Wright. This painting now hangs in Manchester Art Gallery.

Watts greatly admired the noble work of his contemporary, Wright, who devoted his life to helping ex- convicts re- establish themselves in society. He fought for prison reform and to get rid prejudice toward ex- convicts. As well as determined, Wright was warm- hearted and he befriended the prisoners and ex- prisoners, offering them an alternative to a life of crime and the sincere Christian message of hope.

 The Good Samaritan was a popular subject for artists. Watts’ portrayal is characteristically original. His figures are standing, full- length in the centre of the painting and Watts’ focus lies on the physical support that the Samaritan gives to the injured man. As homage, Watts lent Wright’s features to the Samaritan and clothed him in simple, white shrouds which portray him as a humble and compassionate servant. The strong white colour of the cap is very striking against the drab grey sky which suggests the Samaritan is pure and holy. The strip of red cloth that covers the angular body of the wounded man may represent the blood that he has lost from the beating, yet Watts is not graphic in his portrayal, as the actions of the Samaritan is the focal point of the work. This later version of the Good Samaritan is quite different from both the Manchester version and a drawing from 1849, in which Watts included the head of a donkey at the right- hand side. Furthermore, in this painting the colours of the landscape are richer and can be likened to the painter’s later works. The lush green leaves, orange earth and distant mountains provides an interesting backdrop to the primary study in the centre of the work.

Good Samaritan is on loan to Guildford Cathedral from Watts Gallery in Compton, Surrey while it undergoes major restoration. The Gallery was first opened to the public in 1904 and its aim was to be a gallery devoted to the art of G. F. Watts, a permanent exhibition of his art for whoever wished to see it, enshrining the vision of art for all. The collection consists of paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture that were owned by Watts, all works allocated by him for the nation.