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Jan Cossiers

The Supper at Emmaus, ca. 1650

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • Jan Cossiers, 1600-1671, Flemish

Title

The Supper at Emmaus

Year

ca. 1650

Medium

Oil on canvas

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • oil paint

Supports

  • canvas

Dimensions

85.1 x 111.1 cm (33 1/2 x 43 3/4 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Unsigned

Type

  • Paintings

Credit

Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Edward M. Harris

Object Number

23.332

About

In this biblical scene Christ breaks bread to bless it and give it to his dining partners at Emmaus on the third day after his Resurrection. Jan Cossiers depicted the two companions of Christ at the moment when Christ's divinity is revealed to them. The man at the far right throws up his hands in surprise, while the man in the center points in a gesture of identification. The cockle shells, crossed staffs, medal, and tall hat of the man at right designate him as a pilgrim to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela, the most important and popular pilgrimage site in Europe from the 9th to the 17th centuries. The anachronistic inclusion of a pilgrim in a biblical scene suggests that Cossiers made the painting for a particular patron, such as a church or confraternity associated with the saint. Cossiers was a follower of the Antwerp painter Pieter Paul Rubens, and the monumental sculptural figures and warm coloring of this scene reveal his influence. Here Cossiers contrasted the ruddy, dirtied hands and faces of the diners and serving woman with Christ’s untouched complexion.

Unsigned

{"94251":"Previous attribution"}

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Intermission

December 16, 2016 - July 2, 2017

From the Reserve I

April 9 - August 3, 1994

The Facts of Life

June 24 - October 23, 1988

Dutch Paintings of the 17th Century

July 12 - September 1, 1985

European Galleries

This biblical scene takes place in the town of Emmaus on the third day after Christ’s resurrection. As Christ shares bread with travelers at an inn, the man at the far right perceives he is in the presence of the divine. The man wears cockle shells, crossed staffs, a medal, and a tall hat that designate him as a pilgrim to the Spanish shrine of Santiago de Compostela, the most important and popular pilgrimage site in Europe for hundreds of years. Cossiers’s inclusion of a 17th-century pilgrim in a biblical scene suggests that he made the painting for a particular patron, such as a church or brotherhood associated with Saint James, who is believed to be buried at Compostela.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is The Supper at Emmaus with the accession number of 23.332. To request a higher resolution file, please submit an online request.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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