Florence – The Uffizi has added an unusual work by Luca Giordano to its collection. The circular painting *Christ and the Samaritan Woman* was created around 1685 in Florence and was executed as a fresco on a movable wicker panel. Friends of the museum purchased the work and donated it to the galleries, which unveiled the new acquisition on October 21.
The painting measures 111 centimeters in diameter. Unlike a wall fresco, it can be transported: The painting is mounted on a round woven mat, known in Italian as a paniera. This technique had already been used in Florence by Giovanni da San Giovanni and other artists. Giordano, who was originally from Naples, also employed this technique during his stay in the city.
The painting depicts Christ’s encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well, a scene from the Gospel of John. The Amici degli Uffizi and the Friends of the Uffizi Galleries jointly acquired the work for the museum at the TEFAF Maastricht 2026 art fair.
The Uffizi Link New Acquisition to Giordano's Time in Florence
The painting is part of a series of four circular paintings commissioned from Giordano by the Florentine patron Andrea Del Rosso. Another well-known piece from this group, *Christ Among the Scribes*, is now in Minneapolis. The creation of this new Uffizi work coincides with the final phase of Giordano’s work on the frescoes in the Palazzo Medici Riccardi.
For the galleries, this donation thus complements the collection’s documentation of 17th-century Neapolitan painting and its connection to Florence. The museum already owns a self-portrait by Giordano as well as a sketch for his frescoes in the Cappella Corsini. The new acquisition is to be displayed in the first-floor galleries, which will be dedicated to 17th-century painting. These galleries are set to open soon; a specific date for the public unveiling of the circular painting has not yet been announced.
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