Christ and the Samaritan woman at the well.

Lot n° 273
Rome, Antonio Lafreri, ca. 1550

Engraving, 39,6 x 29,6 cm, laid paper with watermark (Briquet: 6085), signed at lower right "Ant. Lafrerii Formis" (tiny single hole under text near lower edge, some old glue traces on verso, small brown rust stain).

The Samaritan woman is getting water from the well and meets Christ. After a lost drawing by Michelangelo. Beatrizet (1507-1565) started working as an engraver for the publishing house of Antonio Lafreri from 1546 to 1560, where he specialised in prints after antique sculpture, monuments and contemporary Italian Renaissance artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo. Lafreri published two versions of this print, with and without text. Lettered in lower margin with three lines of description "Dixit iesvs mulieri samaritanae ... / Ioann cap iiii".
Ref. Bartsch XV.247.15.