A variant of Caravaggio's masterpiece Supper at Emmaus by a member of his circle is up for auction in Christie's London Old Master and British Paintings sale on October 30.
 The follower of Caravaggio imitated his chiaroscuro style |
The piece shows a different composition to the Caravaggio original, but is painted in his distinct chiaroscuro style. It is valued at £40,000-60,000 ($64,432-96,648).
The Supper at Emmaus was created towards the end of Caravaggio's life in 1601 (he died in 1610) and was originally commissioned by Ciriaco Mattei, the brother of Cardinal Girolamo Mattei.
It shows the moment when Jesus, recently resurrected, reveals himself to two of his disciples in the town of Emmaus as told in the Gospel of Luke 24: 30-31.
 The original, shown above, is housed in London's National Gallery |
Caravaggio painted two versions of the work, with the original housed in London's National Gallery, while the second (painted in 1606) is part of the collection of the Brera Fine Arts Academy, Milan.
The sale comes following the news of a Sotheby's lawsuit involving a Caravaggio artwork that was originally believed to have been created by one of his followers, but was revealed to be the original following a 2006 auction, irking its seller.
While a strong imitation of his work, the present work does not display the mastery that Caravaggio is known for.
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