Meal of Our Lord and the Apostles (Repas de Notre-Seigneur et des apôtres)

James Tissot · 1886–1894
Brooklyn Museum, New York

The disciples sit in a ring on the grass by the lake, round a small fire whose smoke rises straight up into the still air. Jesus sits with his back to us, wrapped in white, on a striped mat.

In front of him lie a pile of flat round loaves and a few fish on the ground; the boat has been pulled up at the water’s edge on the right. Tissot painted the far hills and the lake in calm morning greys.

From the text

“they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it, and some bread” (John 21:9)

“Come, have breakfast” (John 21:12)

“Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and He did the same with the fish” (John 21:13)

The artist’s own

Jesus seen from behind among the disciples

Flat round loaves stacked on the ground

Details

Jesus

He sits wrapped in white with his back to us.

The bread

Flat round loaves on the ground.

The fish

A few fish lie on the grass.

The smoke

Smoke from the fire rises straight up.

James Tissot, French, 1836–1902. Brooklyn Museum, New York (Purchased by public subscription, 00.159.346) · Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper · Brooklyn Museum (Commons file page, «Permission»): "This image was uploaded by the Brooklyn Museum as a content partnership, and is considered to have no known copyright restrictions by the institutions of the Brooklyn Museum." — "No known copyright restrictions".

The verses

John 21:9–13When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus told them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many, the net was not torn. “Come, have breakfast,” Jesus said to them. None of the disciples dared to ask Him, “Who are You?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and He did the same with the fish.