Title
Supper at Emmaus
Typology
PaintingsSchool
AntwerpCentury
XVIIth c.Dimensions
75 x 90 cmTechnique
OilSupport
CopperObservations
This Supper at Emmaus, housed at the Monastery of Las Descalzas Reales in Madrid, is an oil on copper based on an original canvas by Peter Paul Rubens. It reproduces the composition of Rubens’s painting, created in the final years of his life, around 1638, which is now preserved at the Museo Nacional del Prado (inv. 1643). The original work was acquired by King Philip IV of Spain after Rubens’s death and was already at the Escorial by 1657.
The scene depicts the biblical episode where the disciples recognize the resurrected Christ during the breaking of bread at Emmaus. In this version, Christ is positioned on the right side of the table, shown in profile, raising his right hand in blessing, while the two disciples, seated on the opposite side, react with surprise and reverence. One of them, Cleopas, removes his broad-brimmed hat as a sign of respect. Beside them, a round-faced innkeeper watches the scene. The composition is notable for its outdoor setting, with a vaulted arch opening onto a luminous landscape that contrasts with the shadowed areas framing the scene. This feature lends the work an open-air atmosphere, distinct from earlier versions of this theme.
The painting is further enriched by still-life elements on the table and picturesque details such as a parrot perched on a bar above the scene, adding a touch of everyday life to the religious depiction. The delicate transitions between light and shadow are particularly remarkable, especially in the bright white of the tablecloth and the warm tones that enliven the figures and landscape.
Rubens draws on various artistic traditions in this work. The outdoor setting with the arch and landscape reflects the influence of Titian, particularly his Supper at Emmaus now in the Louvre, which Rubens may have seen in Mantua or during his visit to England. Certain elements also recall the art of Cigoli, such as the archway in the background, echoing a work preserved in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
The exact circumstances surrounding the creation and arrival of the copy at the Monastery of las Descalzas Reales remain unknown. Today, this painting is displayed in the monastery's oratory (November 2024).
Bibliography
- A. García Sanz and M.L. Sánchez Hernández (2009): Guide: Royal convents of Madrid: las Descalzas reales and la Encarnación, Patrimonio Nacional, Madrid, p. 39.
- D. Freedberger (ed) (1984): Corpus Rubenianum Ludwig Burchard, vol. VII, Nationaal Centrum voor de Plastische Kunsten van de 16de en de 17de Eeuw, Anwterp, pp. 48-52, il. cat. 9.
