Old Masters · Luke 24:31 · 4 October 2026 · 4 works

Emmaus

And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

Two disciples walk with a stranger and recognise him only when he breaks the bread.

The stranger on the road is dressed as a pilgrim, with hat and staff. The two disciples talk to him and do not know who he is.

Altobello Melone, The Road to Emmaus, c. 1516–17 — **Altobello Melone**, The Road to Emmaus, c. 1516–17

The moment of recognition. One disciple flings his arms wide, the other pushes himself up from his chair, and the innkeeper understands nothing. At the front a basket of fruit stands half over the edge of the table.

Caravaggio, The Supper at Emmaus, 1601 — **Caravaggio**, The Supper at Emmaus, 1601

Velázquez painted this in his early twenties, shortly before he went to the court in Madrid. Christ sits at the left edge, lit from the side, and the two disciples turn towards him.

Diego Velázquez, The Supper at Emmaus, c. 1622–23 — **Diego Velázquez**, The Supper at Emmaus, c. 1622–23

Rembrandt takes out all the noise. Christ sits in front of a tall niche and breaks the bread, a faint glow about his head. The boy who brings the dish notices nothing.

Rembrandt, The Supper at Emmaus, 1648 — **Rembrandt**, The Supper at Emmaus, 1648