“The Path of Hope. Rembrandt and Burnand in Rome” from 8 April to 2 June 2025 at San Marcello al Corso

From Tuesday 8 April 2025 to Monday 2 June 2025 the Church of San Marcello al Corso in Rome will host the exhibition “The Path of Hope. Rembrandt and Burnand in Rome”. The event, which forms part of  “The Jubilee is Culture” season is held in the context of the 2025  Jubilee and is organised by the Dicastery for Evangelization.

The exhibition, curated by Don Alessio Geretti, consists of the display of two works of art of exceptional importance: The Disciples Peter and John Running Together to the Tomb of Christ on the Morning of the Resurrection by Eugène Burnand (1898) and The Supper at Emmaus by Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn (1629). The paintings are two of the most famous in the world dedicated to Easter, the day of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

The story of the masterpieces

The Disciples Peter and John Running Together to the Tomb of Christ on the Morning of the Resurrection by Eugène Burnand (1898)

In 1898 Eugène Burnand presented his famous painting "The Disciples Peter and John Running Together to the Tomb of Christ on the Morning of the Resurrection" at the Salon in Paris where it achieved immediate success. The French state initially purchased it to be hung at the Musée du Luxembourg. Since then it has remained in French public collections - it was also exhibited at the Louvre – and its current location is at the Musée d'Orsay.

Burnand, born in French-speaking Switzerland into a Protestant family, dedicated his career to combining art and faith despite the Reformed tradition limiting the use of religious images. In a letter from 1897, the artist described his artistic credo: "Mysticism, for me, consists more in the intensity and depth of vision than in imagination left to itself. I am a realist by nature and by destiny."

The work captures the moment when the disciples, still incredulous, run to the tomb. The light of the rising sun and the movement of the figures express an intense hope, symbolized by the golden glow of the sky. With their workmen’s hands and tense faces, the disciples do not yet know that they are about to see the risen Jesus, marking the dawn of a new hope, the most radiant in history.

The Supper at Emmaus by Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn (1629)

In the painting "The Supper at Emmaus" Rembrandt depicts the moment when two disciples, filled with amazement, recognize the risen Christ. The work, inspired by the passage from Luke 24, conveys a strong religious message, transforming an inn scene into a moment of revelation.

The backlit effect, with the source of light coming from behind Christ's body, highlights his profile, suggesting the moment in which he passes from "physical visibility to invisibility". The disciples react with emotion: one retreats in fear, the other kneels before Jesus, knocking over the stool. A woman also appears in the painting, a typical figure in religious iconography, clearly, she works in the inn. Rembrandt places her in a lit corner, suggesting that those who dedicate themselves to serving others are already within the light of the Risen One even without realizing it. The work stands out for its powerful use of light and the spiritual depth it manages to convey.

The two paintings, exhibited in Rome, will offer a profound reflection on faith, hope and the power of art in transmitting the highest spiritual messages.

The inauguration event on April 8, scheduled for 6pm will be free of charge until all seats are taken. From April 9 onwards, the exhibition will be open to visitors free of charge every day from 8am to 8pm at the church of San Marcello al Corso, in Piazza San Marcello 5.