GEMÄLDE ALTER MEISTER 20. SEPTEMBER 2024

The disciple leaning forward casts a strong shadow on the table, which is covered with a variety of objects, using a form of naturalism that was much appreciated by viewers of the time. As Christ blesses the bread, the disciple on the left, visible frombehind, is about to leap up from his chair, a motif inspired by Caravaggio's (1571–1610) early depiction of the Supper at Emmaus, which was commissioned by Ciriaco Mattei in 1601 and is now in the National Gallery in London (inv. no. NG 172, see Fig. 1). Caravaggio, who had introduced into painting the use of chiaroscuro - the dramatic representation of light and shadow, and an extremely realistic depiction of saints, made a deep impression on painters from the Netherlands in particular. Sto- mer also belonged to the circle of Caravaggists in Rome. This impressive painting offers an exciting interpretation of a the- me that was highly valued by Caravaggio and his followers. Stomer himself, who in addition to historical and mythological subjects mainly painted religious motifs, and in particular scenes from the life of Christ, took up the theme of Christ at Emmaus several times around 1633 to 1640 during his stay in Naples and afterwards when he was in Palermo, systematically exploring the potential of diffe- rent lighting effects. An early version, created around 1635–30, is now in the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples (inv. no. Q197), while another is in the Musée de Grenoble (inv. no. MG82, see Fig. 2). Whereas 20th century scholarship worked on the assumpti- on that the painting offered here was produced in Rome around 1620–1632 or in Naples around 1633–1639 (see literature), more recent research postulates that it was painted around 1640 during Stomer's Sicilian period. Active in Sicily between 1640 and 1643, Stomer received more generous patronage than ever before, and this period proved to be the most illustrious of his entire career. Typical of the monumental works of this creative phase are the ca- reful distribution of the figures on the picture surface and the use of a broad colour palette, enlivened by a rich impasto accentuation of the faces and hands of the main figures. Stomer’s interest in the art of Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) is likely to have had a major influence at this time. Indeed, in the version offered here, Stomer seems to be consciously striving for great clarity and monumen- tality. In this case, Willem Swanenburg's (1500–1612) engraving after Rubens' "The Supper at Emmaus" from 1611 (Rijksmuseum, inv. no. RP-P-OB-103.683, see fig. 3) may have served as a source of inspiration. The details that most caught Stomer's eye in Rubens' composition were the head of Christ, the background figure of the servant holding a plate, the motif of the heavy cloak hanging over the shoulders of the disciple seated on the right, and the elaborate hairstyle of the disciple on the other side of the table. Stomer very skilfully transposed these elements into his own naturalistic style. The Utrecht School, a high-calibre source of European Caravaggism, drew its strength from Rome, where Hendrick ter Brugghen (1588– 1629), Dirk van Baburen (1595–1624) and Gerrit van Honthorst (1592–1656) studied the master's art. Matthias Stomer, who was one of the most important Dutch painters active in Italy in the first half of the 17th century, also travelled to Rome to study Caravaggio's art. He probably received his training in Utrecht, as the influence of the Utrecht painters AbrahamBloaemart (1564–1651) and Gerrit van Honthorst on his œuvre leads us to assume that Matthias Stomer was a pupil of theirs. By 1630 at the latest, he had travelled to Rome, and is known to have been around thirty years old at the time. Ori- ginally travelling to Italy only to study, Stomer never returned to the Netherlands and eventually settled in northern Italy. "The Supper at Emmaus" is remarkable for the ease with which Matthias Stomer combined his fidelity to Caravaggio's naturalism with his sensitivity to the brio of Rubens' great Baroque style. The painting is an outstanding example of how the last of the great Ca- ravaggists was able to achieve this synthesis with complete maste- ry and palpable self-confidence. The painting is archived under nr. 229064 in the RKD, The Hague, as an original work by Matthias Stomer. CHF 300 000/500 000 (€ 315 790/526 320) 3020 (Detail) Abb. 3 Willem Isaacsz. van Swanenburg, nach Peter Paul Rubens, Maaltijd in Emmaüs, 1611, Stich, 32,1 × 32 cm. © Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. 41