Supper at Emmaus

   An episode from the story of Christ that takes place after the Resurrection. Christ appears to two of his apostles at Palestine who do not recognize him. They tell him of their grief over the death of the Savior and the disappearance of his body from his tomb. The three men go to Emmaus and when Christ breaks the bread during supper, the disciples finally realize who he is. Caravaggio painted two versions of this theme, in 1600 (London, National Gallery) and again in 1606 (Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera), the earlier being the more dramatic rendition. This version was Abraham Blomaert's prototype for his Supper at Emmaus of 1622 (Brussels, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts), a work with the same theatrical lighting effects and dramatic gestures as Caravaggio's. Rembrandt painted several versions, including the one in 1648 at the Louvre in Paris. Jacob Jordaens' painting of the subject of c. 1650 is in the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin.