The road to Emmaus

Born in Troyes in 1597, Jacques de Létin was, like many painters of his generation, attracted to Rome. It was there that he met the great Simon Vouet in the 1620s. Upon his return to Troyes, he received several important commissions from local churches and was also able to establish a reputation for himself in Paris, thanks to the increase in monastic commissions. As a result, in 1636, he was chosen to paint the May of Nôtre-Dame of Paris, one of the most important commissions of the period. However, despite the success he enjoyed in his own lifetime, it is now difficult to assess his oeuvre since many of his religious painting were lost during the Revolution.

The present picture probably hung in the Sacred College Chapel in Troyes during the 18th century (see literature).