Supper of Emmaus

The painting depicts the moment when the resurrected but incognito Jesus reveals himself to two of his disciples (presumed to be Luke and Cleopas)  only to soon vanish from their sight (Gospel of Luke 24: 30–31). Cleopas wears the scallop shell of a pilgrim. The other apostle wears torn clothes. Cleopas gesticulates in a perspectively-challenging extension of arms in and out of the frame of reference. The standing groom, forehead smooth and face in darkness, appears oblivious to the event. The painting is unusual for the life-sized figures, the dark and blank background. The table lays out a still-life meal with the basket of food teetering over the edge.

In the Gospel of Mark (16:12) Jesus is said to have appeared to them "in another form", which may be why he is depicted beardless here.  It is also a recurring theme in Caravaggio's paintings to find the sublime interrupting the daily routine. Caravaggio seems to suggest that perhaps a Jesus could enter our daily encounters. The dark background envelops the tableau.

Caravaggio’s use of dark colors instills the image with a powerful sense of drama. By placing the actors before a wall that seems to only be inches away from them, he distorts the viewer’s sense of distance and proportion, encouraging the viewer to see themselves in the same space.

Mannerism gave way to Baroque art which is full of dark backgrounds, deep colors, dramatic light and sharp shadows. All of these characteristics can be seen in Caravaggio’s Supper of Emmaus. It depicts the Gospel story of the resurrected Jesus's appearance in Emmaus. The image depicts the moment that Jesus breaks the bread and the Emmaus travelers recognize Him as the resurrected Messiah (Luke 24:13–35). "Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread."
The painting is oil on canvas,measures   141 cm × 196.2 cm (56 in × 77.2 in) and is in The National Gallery in London.