Why was it so hard to recognize Jesus?
The story of Jesus’ encounters in Emmaus is told in Luke 24:13-35. Here is a Link to the NRSV version of the text.
In these images we see the artists trying to depict an event where Jesus’s visible presence could not be recognized by even those who are closest to him. Finally, through his words, in the echoes of the prophecies and ultimately his actions, in the breaking of the bread, that the disciples recognize that the stranger amongst them is Christ. The story references the women at the empty tomb and the angel’s astonishing announcement that Jesus had risen and the disciples’ persistent skepticism (22-24).
Plaque with the Journey to Emmaus and Noli Me Tangere. ca. 1115–20. Made in Léon Spain. Ivory with traces of gilding. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917. 17.190.47
The images below are depictions of the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-27). The first plaque is from Spain during the Middle Ages. The Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) was an area where many different cultures converged between the time of Roman rule and Christian unification in 1492. Elements of converging cultures can be seen on the plaque. The Visigoths, a Germanic group that took over Spain after the fall of Rome were more known for their metalwork. The square cross that you see on the left disciple is a traditional symbol of the Visigoths. The abstract patterning of the frame border and the intricate ivory carving is characteristic of Islamic artisans when the Umayyad Dynasty took over. The dating of this plaque early in the 12th century places this in the period when Léon has become an important Christian center and these combined scenes of Christ encountering the disciples on the road to Emmaus and Mary Magdalene at the tomb (bottom panel) would appeal to pilgrims on the increasingly popular road to Santiago de Compostela.
Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937) is related to one of the most influential African American families in Philadelphia—the Tanner/Mosell/Alexander family. This painting depicts a dark-skinned, white-gowned Christ without recognizable facial features. The setting, in complete darkness adds to the mystery of the event. Tanner, the son of an AME minister who grew up in North Philadelphia, spent most of his artistic career in France, studying in Paris and then moving to Brittany. He informed his many depictions of religious scenes with sketches of people, clothing and architecture of the Holy Land, which he first visited in 1897. Notice that the date that Tanner painted this scene nearly coincides with the year that J. Pierpont Morgan donated the Spanish plaque to the Metropolitan Museum.
Henry Ossawa Tanner. Invitation to Christ to Enter by his Disciples at Emmaus. c. 1920. Oil on canvas. Christie’s Sale 16390, Lot 42 (November 20, 2018)
The Carolingian plaque below combines both scenes, like Luke’s gospel, depicting both the encounter on the road and the Supper at Emmaus (Luke 24: 28-35). The use of ivory as a material allows for fine carving but also indicates the importance of the subject for the newly established Holy Roman Empire. Although the disciples did not recognize their Lord, the viewer can easily find him—he has a halo around his head. As in the depictions of human beings, artists often localized their depictions of religious texts. Jerusalem has the rounded architecture of early medieval Germanic architecture used for churches and palaces during the reign of Charlemagne.
Plaque with Scenes at Emmaus. ca. 850-900 CE. Carolingian. Ivory. Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters Collection, 1970. 1970.324.1. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/471970
Henry Ossawa Tanner, And He Disappeared out of Their Sight, ca. 1898, oil on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, 1983.95.200
Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn), The Supper at Emmaus, 1654. Etching, burin and drypoint; first of two states. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gift of Felix M. Warburg and his family, 1941. 41.1.58.
Both Tanner and Rembrandt were concerned with historical accuracy in their depictions of Jesus. Tanner went to the Holy Land, Rembrandt’s models were Jews from Amsterdam. In both the painting and the etching light indicates the presence of divine. In the etching, the light emanates from a negative or white space, conveying the idea that the light does not just stay fixed, but fills the room. Indeed you can see the strong contrast of the light and shadow where Christ and the figures closest to Christ are the brightest, and the area that is distant becomes much darker. Christ is the light source of the etching. Similarly, Tanner uses lighter pigment to convey the idea of Christ’s presence. But Tanner has chosen the moment before recognition. There seem to be only three figures here—a featureless Christ, a shadow in blue green behind Christ, and a solitary figure at the table across from Christ. This is a very personal encounter of an individual with the risen Lord.