In a pink robe, looking up, with a faint halo.
Bible in art · Luke
The Supper at Emmaus
Velázquez · 1622–23
The Met, New York
Diego Velázquez painted this canvas in 1622–23, in his early twenties, around the time he left Seville for the royal court in Madrid. Like other young Spanish painters of the day, he had learned from Caravaggio’s strong light and ordinary-looking models.
Three men sit at a plain table against a bare wall. Light from the left falls on Jesus’ face and on the white tablecloth, and the two disciples start back — one throws up his hand, the other leans forward — at the moment they recognize him.
From the text
- Jesus reclining at the table with them (Luke 24:30)
- “Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus” (Luke 24:31)
- A mark on his hand — “Look at My hands” (Luke 24:39)
The artist’s own
- A plain Spanish room and a table with a white cloth, a bowl and a knife
- The disciples as working men of Seville
- A faint halo around Jesus’ head
Details
Jesus
His hand
A small red mark on the back of his hand.
The older disciple
He leans forward across the table, pointing.
The younger disciple
Seen from behind in a dark green coat, throwing up his hand.
The tablecloth
Crisp folds of white linen, a white bowl, a knife and a small green fruit.
Velázquez (Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez), Spanish, Seville 1599–1660 Madrid. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913; acc. 14.40.631) · Oil on canvas · Public Domain — The Met Open Access (CC0). The Met Collection API record: "isPublicDomain": true; The Met marks such works on its website "with the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) icon".