Christ at Emmaus: The Smaller Plate

Christ at Emmaus: The Smaller Plate, created by Rembrandt van Rijn Dutch, 1606-1669, in 1634, is an exceptional example of Dutch Golden Age graphic arts. Executed using etching combined with drypoint on cream laid paper, this print demonstrates the artist's early experiments with dramatic chiaroscuro and deeply etched shadows. The drypoint technique, which creates rich, velvety burred lines, is utilized by Rembrandt to intensify the darkness surrounding the figure of Christ, enhancing the miraculous revelation.

This work captures the climactic moment of recognition from the Gospel of Luke (24:30-31), where the resurrected Christ breaks bread with two astonished disciples. The setting is rendered simply, allowing the interplay of artificial and spiritual light to focus intensely on the central figures. This specific attention to internal drama and light defines much of the artist's output across the Netherlands during the 17th century. Unlike his larger, more elaborate treatments of the same subject created later, this smaller plate maintains an intimate, focused intensity, emphasizing the emotional shock of the disciples.

As a significant piece in the artist's prolific production of religious subjects, this print remains a crucial study in his development as a master printmaker. The repeated exploration of the Christ at Emmaus theme underscores its importance in 17th-century Christian iconography. This work is classified as a print and is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Many of his masterful early prints are now widely available, often in the public domain, allowing scholars and enthusiasts global access to the technical genius of Rembrandt.