The Supper at Emmaus (second plate) 1910

Curator: Let’s turn our attention to Jean-Louis Forain’s 1910 etching, "The Supper at Emmaus (second plate)". It’s an intaglio print depicting a scene from the New Testament. Editor: Intaglio...fancy talk! My gut feeling is this print is so immediate and raw. It's all tentative lines, almost like the artist is sketching a ghost story. The somber tones feel more like twilight than divine revelation, if you ask me. Curator: I find your reading fascinating! Indeed, the quick, nervous lines etched on this plate create an atmosphere of uncertainty and spiritual quest. Note how Forain’s expert application of the etching technique achieves a range of tonal values—from the deeply shadowed figures to the ethereally rendered figure of Christ. Editor: Shadows define them! And yet there's this haunting quality. Is that what makes it, dare I say it, modern? It feels less about proving the miracle and more about probing the minds wrestling with it. Did they *really* see what they think they saw? It makes my head spin just looking. Curator: Precisely! Forain engages with the ambiguity inherent in faith and perception. His style draws on impressionistic techniques, emphasizing subjective experience over strict representational accuracy. This focus mirrors the moment of recognition in the biblical story—a fleeting, almost hallucinatory encounter. Editor: Hallucinatory is the word! I see how the looseness in the line work pulls at my mind, just like the disciples’ bewilderment must've tugged at theirs. Now, the composition places Jesus in the center, but his blurring somehow renders him more question than answer. Beautiful and thought-provoking! Curator: In closing, what remains potent about this piece is Forain’s masterful manipulation of the medium. The raw expressiveness in his work transcends simple biblical illustration, pushing towards an evocative exploration of faith and doubt. Editor: Right. The more I gaze into it, the less certain I feel... And that, paradoxically, is why it is unforgettable. It plants its questions firmly in my head.