Jesus and the Samaritan woman

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The depiction of Jesus and the Samaritan woman is very ancient, but it was from the 16^th and 17^th centuries onward that the theme was developed with the works of Véronèse, Rembrandt, and Poussin. The scene shows the encounter between Christ, who is travelling from Judea to Galilee, and a woman from Samaria to whom he has chosen to reveal himself as the Messiah, even though there is still great hostility between Jews and Samaritans.  In the background, the ramparts, domes, and steeples of the city of Sichar at the foot of the mountains (current-day Naplouse, in Palestine) create a harmonious ensemble.  This importance accorded to landscape, though still as the background in a religious scene, but given more and more importance and creative attention, is shared by all four of these paintings.