And He Disappeared out of Their Sight
Henry Ossawa Tanner
ca. 1898
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins
Accession Number
1983.95.200
Tags
ChristSupper at Emmausdisciple
About this artwork
The son of a minister, Henry Ossawa Tanner dedicated himself to painting religious subjects, and his trips to the Holy Land in 1897 and 1898 helped to inspire his work. This scene from the Gospel of Luke shows the resurrected Christ and two of his disciples sitting down to dinner. His followers do not recognize Jesus until he blesses the bread and disappears, leaving only a shadow to represent his ever-present spirit.