Jacob Jordaens, Flemish, 1593-1678
Title: The Supper at Emmaus
Date: c.1645-1665
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
198.5 x 211.5 cm
Credit Line: Presented, Charles Bianconi, 1865
Object Number: NGI.57
DescriptionThe gospel of Luke describes how Christ, on the day of his Resurrection, met two of his disciples on the road to the village of Emmaus. When they stopped to eat in the village, Christ broke the bread, and at that very moment the disciples recognised their fellow traveller. The theme was popular in the art of the Counter-Reformation because it was seen as an important precedent for the Eucharistic celebration of bread and wine in church, as a remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. The rustic realism of the figures and the humble setting are typical features in Jordaens’s work. The strong use of light and shade and the broad use of paint indicate that this is a later work by the artist, dating to c.1645–65.
Jordaens was a painter, tapestry designer and draughtsman, whose oeuvre is characterised by great stylistic versatility. The lack of idealised figures in his work distinguishes him from his more successful Flemish contemporaries Rubens and Van Dyck.
March 2016
Jordaens was a painter, tapestry designer and draughtsman, whose oeuvre is characterised by great stylistic versatility. The lack of idealised figures in his work distinguishes him from his more successful Flemish contemporaries Rubens and Van Dyck.
March 2016
ProvenancePaillet Juillot, Paris, 9-12 January 1784, Montribloud sale; Grange, Antwerp, 18 July 1785, Canon Knyff sale, lot 331; Goesin, Ghent, 3 October 1815, Charles Spruyt sale; Lord Northwick, Thirlestane House, Cheltenham, 1854; presented, Charles Bianconi, 1865
Exhibition HistoryL'Art belge au XVIIieme siecle, Brussels, 1910
Centenary Exhibition, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, October - December 1964
From Titian to Delacroix: Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Ireland, Yokohama Sogo Museum of Art, Yokohama, 25 August - 17 October 1993; Chiba Sogo Museum of Art, Chiba, 10 November - 20 December 1993; Prefectural Museum of Art, Yamaguchi, 5 January - 20 February 1994; Kobe City Museum, Kobe, 25 February - 10 April 1994; Isetan Museum of Art, Tokyo, 14 April - 24 May 1994
European Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Ireland, National Gallery, Canberra, 25 June - 3 October 1994; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Adelaide, 21 October 1994 - 15 January 1995
Centenary Exhibition, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, October - December 1964
From Titian to Delacroix: Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Ireland, Yokohama Sogo Museum of Art, Yokohama, 25 August - 17 October 1993; Chiba Sogo Museum of Art, Chiba, 10 November - 20 December 1993; Prefectural Museum of Art, Yamaguchi, 5 January - 20 February 1994; Kobe City Museum, Kobe, 25 February - 10 April 1994; Isetan Museum of Art, Tokyo, 14 April - 24 May 1994
European Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Ireland, National Gallery, Canberra, 25 June - 3 October 1994; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Adelaide, 21 October 1994 - 15 January 1995
Label TextThe Gospel of Luke mentions how Christ, on the day of his Resurrection, met two of his disciples on the road to the village of Emmaus. When they stopped to eat in the village, Christ broke the bread. At that moment the disciples recognised their fellow traveller. The theme was popular in the art of the Counter-Reformation because it was seen as an important precedent for the Eucharistic celebration of bread and wine in church. The rustic realism of the ?gures and the humble setting are typical features of Jordaens’s work and distinguish it from Rubens’s and Van Dyck’s biblical scenes.