The understanding of a woman: Vittoria Colonna and Michelangelo's Christ and the Samaritan Woman

This article presents a new contextualization and interpretation of Michelangelo's composition, C hrist and the S amaritan W oman , which was made for V ittoria C olonna around 1542. Known only through copies, it is an unusual representation of the theme, which eschews commentary on the sexuality or arrogance of the woman and instead includes elements that point to the woman's role in leading others to C hrist. By reconsidering C olonna's own statements on the S amaritan woman and parallels found in B ernardino O chino's comments, I argue that the design reflects the way C olonna positioned herself as a person of incomplete understanding who could still be saved through a direct encounter with C hrist's words. The theme had particular resonance around 1542 when Italian reformers like C olonna faced increasing scrutiny from the C hurch. Indeed C olonna's interest in the subject may be a response to O chino's flight from Italy in the face of threats from the Church.