Spanish school; 17th century.

Spanish school; XVII century.
"The Supper at Emmaus".
Oil on canvas. Relined old.
Measurements: 84 x 103 cm.
This work follows the model created by the master Rubens around 1638, in the work that belongs to the collection of the Prado Museum in Madrid entitled "The Supper at Emmaus" and that was acquired in 1640 in the auction of Rubens for Philip IV. In this painting is represented a scene narrated in the Gospel of Luke (24:13-35), in which the risen Christ appears to two of his disciples on the road to the village of Emmaus. They do not recognize him until, during supper, Christ breaks the bread, in a direct reference to the Eucharist. Both the meeting on the road and the supper episode have been widely represented in painting, although the second scene, the one depicted here, is more frequent. In medieval art, the moment prior to the recognition of Christ by the disciples is preferred, and in these works the Messiah usually wears a large pilgrim's hat, which helps to explain the fact that he was not recognized by the disciples. Since the Renaissance, on the other hand, it is preferred to represent Jesus eating with the disciples, and often the moment of recognition is shown. In the 16th century we find important examples of the representation of this theme, such as Titian's painting of 1535, now in the Louvre.