Christ and the Disciples in Emmaus 1593 - 1610

Adam Elsheimer, a German artist working in Italy, painted "Christ and the Disciples in Emmaus" on copper sometime in the early 17th century. The painting depicts a moment of revelation and recognition. It shows a post-resurrection Jesus dining with two of his disciples. The disciples' varied reactions—one reflective, the other shocked—highlight the emotional complexity of faith and doubt. Elsheimer situates this intimate scene in a common interior, blurring the boundaries between the divine and everyday life. Elsheimer's work emerges during the Counter-Reformation, a period marked by religious and political upheaval. By focusing on the personal, emotional experiences of faith, Elsheimer moves away from the grandiose, public displays of religious fervor favored by the Catholic Church at the time. The painting invites us to consider the moments in our own lives when the familiar is suddenly transformed, when the veil is lifted, and we recognize the extraordinary in the ordinary.