Art Analysis: The Supper At Emmaus

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Artist popularly, before the time of counter-reformation, have painted the same scenes in the bible, the crucifix, mother and child and many others over and over again in the manner corresponding to their time. Caravaggio, like many before him, has painted the Supper at Emmaus, however, its purpose might be different from the others to some extent.
The scene set in a tight frame. Jesus in the center, a traditional setting , his astonished disciples seated around him and standing to the right clueless inn-keeper. The surrounding suggest nothing more extravagant than a tavern and a blank parallel wall that sets its figures forward . No distance predicted, just space facing the viewer. Caravaggio captures the precise moment of revelation …show more content…

Christ's eyes concentrate on the objects laid out on the table before him and the position of his left hand over the bread. Caravaggio paints the gesture of Jesus' right hand, raised in blessing and foreshortened, appears directed towards the viewer. Across Christ, who is assumed to be Cleophas, face reflects the radiating light from Christ's hand. He would have been in the shadow instead for the source of light is from left, against his back. Cleophas is clad in a green jacket, torn at the elbow, braces the arms of the Savonarola chair in the act of to jump out in disbelief and his reaction parallels to the other disciple on Jesus' left, stretching his arms, palm facing the viewers and the other close enough to almost touch Jesus. The anonymous disciple, whose identity is varied to be Peter, James the Great and Philip according to different historians, hands imitates the crucifix and placed in such a way that bridges Jesus and the viewer. Seem to suggest that the death of Christ on the cross brings the viewers or in this case, the believers closer to Christ as he paid for all

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