Maaltijd in Emmaüs 1606 - 1656

This is an engraving of the Meal at Emmaus, made by an anonymous artist. The account of the meal at Emmaus is found in the Gospel of Luke, in which the resurrected Christ appears to two of his disciples while they are having dinner. As a subject for art, it offered an opportunity to convey complex theological ideas in a familiar domestic setting, as is the case here. The composition and fine detail of the engraving are of high quality, which suggests that this print was produced in Northern Europe in the sixteenth or seventeenth century. Like many artworks of this period, the print provides a window into the cultural context in which it was made. The objects on the table, the clothing of the figures, and even the dog lying at their feet, speak to the everyday life of the time. The work of art historians is to examine such visual evidence, consulting a range of documentary sources to place the artwork in its social and institutional context.