Artwork
The Supper at Emmaus
The Supper at Emmaus is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Titian. It dates from 1545 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows a scene from the biblical story of the Supper at Emmaus, where the risen Christ appears to two disciples during a meal.
The painting shows a scene from the biblical story of the Supper at Emmaus, where the risen Christ appears to two disciples during a meal. In this composition, Jesus is depicted centrally, often identified by a halo or other symbolic attributes, while the disciples, shown in varied states of recognition and surprise, represent the moment of revelation. The iconography emphasizes themes of recognition, divine revelation, and spiritual awakening, central to Christian narrative. The work belongs to the religious genre, reflecting Counter-Reformation ideals of emotional engagement and visual storytelling.
Technique & Style
The 1545 version of The Supper at Emmaus, attributed to Titian and his workshop, is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. Measuring 163 cm in height and 200 cm in width, the work exemplifies the Venetian school through its religious subject matter and painterly approach. The handling of the medium reflects the studio collaboration typical of Titian's later period, where the master's design was realized through the collective effort of his assistants. The painting remains in good condition as part of the National Gallery of Ireland's collection in Dublin.
History & Provenance
The version of The Supper at Emmaus held by the National Gallery of Ireland was created around 1545 by Titian and his studio. This religious painting, executed in oil on canvas, depicts the biblical scene of the Supper at Emmaus. Its documented ownership chain begins in Venice before appearing in the collection of Abbate Celotti in 1836.
Later that same year, it was acquired by Prince Demidoff for his Villa San Donato near Florence. The work subsequently entered the Paris art market, where it was purchased at the Prince Demidoff sale in March 1870.
The 1545 version of The Supper at Emmaus, attributed to Titian and his workshop, is held by the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin. This work was acquired by the museum following its purchase at the Prince Demidoff sale in Paris in March 1870, having previously been in the collection of Abbate Celotti and the Prince at Villa San Donato near Florence. A separate version, created around 1534, is currently on long-term loan to the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, having belonged to the Earl of Yarborough after being preserved in the Ducal Palace, Venice.
The source material details the provenance of the Dublin painting from the sixteenth century through its 1870 acquisition but does not list specific exhibition dates or a chronological exhibition history for either version.
Overview
Titian created multiple versions of 'The Supper at Emmaus'. Two notable examples, dated to around 1534 and 1545, are housed in the Walker Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Ireland, respectively.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Tiziano Vecellio (Italian:; c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576), Latinized as Titianus, hence known in English as Titian ( TISH-ən), was an Italian Renaissance painter. The most important artist of Renaissance Venetian…
