Han van Meegeren 1889 – 1947

The Supper at Emmaus

oil on canvas (115 × 127 cm) — 1937 Museum Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam

Han van Meegeren biography

This work is linked to Luke 24:31

Tags: Emmaus

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This is Van Meegeren's best known forgery. At its so-called discovery experts were tripping over themselves in praise of the work, which was assumed to be a genuine Vermeer. Museum Boijmans paid the huge sum of 520,000 Dutch guilders for its acquisition.

Van Meegeren skillfully applied several aging techniques to give the painting a 17th century look and feel. The light entering from the left and the faces of the figures are all typical Vermeer. It is assumed that Van Meegeren's wife modelled for all figures. The composition is clearly inspired by Caravaggio's depiction of the story.

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