Three Nimbed Figures at a Table

Despite being the heavy damage down the centre of this work, much of the scene is still discernible: we can see three figures, two of whom are seated at a meal. However, contradicting interpretations of the subjects of this icon prevent its meaning from being confirmed. The enigmatic work was discovered by antiquary Edward Daniel Clarke in 1801 in the ruins of a church in the region of Nazareth and gave it to Thomas Kerrich. On the back of the painting was an inscription, now lost, which said the picture was discovered “in a vaulted stone chamber… under a heap of rubbish.”

Artist / Maker
Unknown artist or workshop
Type
painting
Date
Probably seventeenth century
Material
Unknown artist or workshop
Dimensions
36.2 x 22.3cm
Location
Burlington House