A see-through grey figure stands at the table.
Bible in art · Luke
He Vanished from Their Sight (Il disparut à leurs yeux)
James Tissot · 1886–1894
Brooklyn Museum, New York
Tissot found a striking way to paint a disappearance. In a dark room hung with garlands, the two disciples stand at a table and stare at the place opposite them.
There, between them, stands a grey figure so transparent that the table and the floor show through it — Jesus at the very moment of vanishing. Only a little warm light touches the two men’s faces and hands.
From the text
- “He took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to them” (Luke 24:30)
- “their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus—and He disappeared from their sight” (Luke 24:31)
The artist’s own
- Jesus painted as a see-through shape
- The garlanded room in near darkness
Details
Vanishing
A disciple
He leans back and lifts his hand to his face.
The other disciple
He stares, his hands on the table.
The table
The table shows through the figure.
James Tissot, French, 1836–1902. Brooklyn Museum, New York (Purchased by public subscription, 00.159.339) · 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".