VENICE.- The Museo di Palazzo Grimani, part of the Musei archeologici nazionali di Venezia e della Laguna, announced the public exhibition of Samaritana al pozzo (The Samaritan woman at the Well) by Luca Giordano (Naples, 1634–1705), starting November 11th. Assigned to the Museum by the Ministry of Culture in 2022, the painting now becomes part of the Museum’s permanent collection and will be displayed in the Dining Room of the Palace, alongside Natura morta con nautilus, limoni, prosciutto e calice (Still Life with Nautilus, Lemons, Ham and Goblet) by the Flemish painter Jasper Geerards (Antwerp, c. 1620 – Amsterdam, between 1649 and 1654). The Samaritana al pozzo underwent a significant restoration commissioned by the Musei archeologici nazionali di Venezia e della Laguna and it enriches the picture gallery of Palazzo Grimani, which also includes, in addition to Geerards’ Still Life, a Portrait of Giovanni Grimani by Domenico Tintoretto (Venice, 1560–1635).

Previously held by a private company under the care of a bankruptcy trustee for the Venice Court, the painting had been declared of cultural interest in 2018 after the bankruptcy of a Venetian auction house. The report to the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape triggered a review process that culminated in the State’s acquisition of the work in 2021.

"The acquisition of Luca Giordano’s painting enhances the Museum’s permanent collection and makes available to the public a work that was previously inaccessible, thanks to the collaboration with the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and various offices of the Ministry of Culture,” says Marianna Bressan, Musei archeologici nazionali di Venezia e della Laguna. “Its presence in this palace is particularly meaningful, as the painter had a real connection with the Grimani family in the late Seventeenth Century. Moreover, this acquisition provided an opportunity to develop scientific research, thanks to collaboration between experts and specialists in the field, whose findings will be presented at a public conference on November 10th.”

The assignment of Samaritana al pozzo to Palazzo Grimani marks the conclusion of a process aimed at protecting and promoting art for public benefit, involving both the Ministry of Culture and the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage.

The declaration of cultural interest, as regulated by the Italian Code of the Cultural and Landscape Heritage, is a fundamental tool for ensuring the preservation of and community access to artistic heritage. The procedures to identify at-risk works involve several public authorities and professionals whose combined expertise contributes to the protection and public appreciation of Italy’s historical and artistic legacy. Purchased in 2021 by the Ministry of Culture’s Directorate-General for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape, the painting was later assigned to the Museo di Palazzo Grimani in Venice due to the historic connection between Luca Giordano and the Grimani family, particularly Cardinal Vincenzo Grimani (Mantua, 1655 – Naples, 1710), Viceroy of Naples from 1708 to 1710. A collector and patron of the arts, Vincenzo Grimani was one of Giordano’s most generous supporters; the artist himself spent several periods studying and working in Venice during the second half of the Seventeenth Century.

This oil painting — depicting with solemnity and introspection the encounter between Christ and the Samaritan woman, arranged in a strikingly balanced “chiastic” composition — was attributed to Luca Giordano in the monograph by Ferrari and Scavizzi (2003) and confirmed in previous auction catalogues (Christie’s 1995, San Marco 2006), dated variously between the 1680-1690s and 1697.

The work reflects an erudite classicism, enriched by influences from Roman painting — particularly Raffaello, the Carracci, Pietro da Cortona, and Carlo Maratta — as well as elements of Venetian colorism that Giordano absorbed during his stays in Venice. These traits, evident in Samaritana al pozzo are stylistically consistent with the Fuga in Egitto (Flight into Egypt) series by the same artist, now held in museums in Madrid, Budapest, and New York. The painting has also been the focus of an important restoration project carried out by venetian conservator Claudia Vittori, allowing for a fuller appreciation of the work.

Through photographic analysis and UV light examination, the restoration revealed the presence of overpainting not motivated by conservation needs but likely added to enhance the work’s market appeal. The painting had also been mounted on a larger second canvas, with its original edges covered by a thick layer of stucco. The restoration removed these alterations, revealing significant original portions of the artwork. It was also necessary to remove a heavy layer of paint and some old retouches that altered the appearance of the work, using gel solvents and a scalpel. Finally, the painting was protected with new varnishes and targeted interventions were carried out to restore the surface to a harmonious appearance close to the original.

The new display in the Dining Room aims to evoke the spirit of the original Grimani collection, integrating external works to enrich the museum’s exhibition with new historical and artistic perspectives.

"Samaritana al pozzo is a work from Luca Giordano’s mature period, in which the artist embraced a classicist language inspired by ancient sculpture and the style of the Roman Renaissance, particularly Raffaello’s Vatican Rooms,” comments Valeria Finocchi, art historian at the Museo di Palazzo Grimani. “Giordano was an extraordinarily prolific and versatile artist, able to master the main pictorial languages of the Seventeenth Century, from classicism to the most theatrical Baroque. While always true to himself, he adapted his art with great skill to the needs of his patrons and context.”