Christ Disappearing at Emmaus

Christ Disappearing at Emmaus

Henry Fuseli, 1792

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Artist: Henry Fuseli (Swiss, 1741–1825)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 56 1/2 x 46 1/2 inches (143.5 x 118.1 cm)
Museum: Yale Center for British Art
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

According to the Gospel of St. Luke, Jesus walked the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus with two of his disciples on the day of his resurrection. Despondent at his recent death, they did not recognize the resurrected Jesus until later that evening when he broke bread with them at the table, and they recalled him saying: “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry.” Jesus then disappeared from their sight.

Although the “Supper at Emmaus” had long been a traditional subject for artists, Henry Fuseli’s painting is unusual in its treatment of the biblical story, as it shows Christ in the act of disappearing once he revealed himself to his disciples. While earlier paintings focus on the meal and the joyous moment of Christ’s revelation, the disciples in Fuseli’s painting are seemingly bereft, in darkness and in despair, as Christ vanishes from their presence.

Text: Yale Center for British Art.

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