| Object Number: | D_2021_0002 | |
| Date: | 1860s | |
| Category: | Drawings, Gouache, and Paper | |
| Material: | Paper | |
| Dimensions: | 67 x 68 mm (H xW) |
William De Morgan decided to become an artist in his late teens, abandoning his studies at the University College London to take drawing classes at Carys Academy in Bloomsbury from 1859. Here, he learnt the art of making faithful drawings from antique sculpture which would help him pass the Royal Academy Schools entrance test in 1859 where he was a student until 1863.
After this time, De Morgan began making stained glass windows, some designs for Morris and Co. and other manufacturers. In total, he designed for at least 15 churches and two private residences and earned a decent living from this work.
This drawing is a rare sketch probably for a stained glass pane. It depicts the story of the Good Samaritan from the Bible. The parable of the Good Samaritan is told by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. It is about a traveler who is stripped of clothing, beaten, and left half dead alongside the road. First a Jewish priest and then a Levite comes by, but both avoid the man. Finally, a Samaritan happens upon the traveler and helps him. The conclusion is that the neighbour figure in the parable is the one who shows mercy to the injured fellow man—that is, the Samaritan.
The drawing is exceptionally rare due to it being completed only in blue colour. It anticipates De Morgans designs for ceramics as it recalls the colouring and arrangement of Delft Tiles even though that was probably not his intention).
The drawing was part of a group of drawings which came to auction for the first time in 1975 before the Foundation purchased the drawing with a generous donation in 2021.