Caravaggio's the Supper at Emmaus January 7, 2010

On loan from the The National Gallery of London, Caravaggio's 'The Supper at Emmaus' will temporarily take its place at the Art Institute amid the collection's "Caravaggesque" paintings. With very few paintings by Caravaggio in American museums, this is an extremely rare opportunity to view firsthand one of the most highly regarded paintings by one of the most influential Western artists of all time. 'The Supper at Emmaus' will serve as the centerpiece for a focus installation in Gallery 211 of the Art Institute's collection of "Caravaggesque" paintings. Caravaggio's insistence on heightened realism and the sculptural qualities of his figures, often brightly lit against a dark background, are evident in works such as Bartolomeo Manfredi's 'Cupid Chastised' and Cecco del Caravaggio's 'The Resurrection.'