The oil painting - which solemnly and introspectively depicts the encounter between Christ and the Samaritan woman with a particular chiasmus composition of the two figures recognizable for a unique expressiveness and emotionality - had already been attributed to Luca Giordano in the monograph by Ferrari and Scavizzi (2003) and confirmed in previous auction publications (Christie's 1995, San Marco 2006), with datings ranging between the years 1680-1690 and 1697.

The work reflects a learned classicism, enriched by influences from Roman painting - in particular Raphael, Carracci, Pietro da Cortona, and Carlo Maratta - and elements of Venetian colorism, learned by Giordano during his stays in Venice. These traits, identifiable in the Samaritan at the well, are stylistically compatible with the Flight into Egypt series created by the same author now preserved in the museums of Madrid, Budapest, and New York. 

Furthermore, the work has been the subject of an important restoration project entrusted to the Venetian restorer Claudia Vittori, which will allow for a more complete enjoyment of it.