April 21, 2011 5:07 PM
The Last Supper - in art
You definitely want to bookmark this site - and add richness to your children's experience of the Bible - especially now, during Passion Week.Today is Maundy Thursday, when Jesus symbolically showed us what Christian leadership should look like - by washing the feet of his disciples. Many churches - including ours - recreate this event. Tonight our priest will wash the feet of 12 church members, including Tripp.
Even more important, tonight marks the Last Supper - which we remember each week at Mass. Here is the discussion of The Last Supper at Art and the Bible:
The Last Supper
On the evening before his death, Jesus calls his disciples together for supper, which will be his last. Before the meal he washes the feet of everyone attending. During the meal Jesus discloses the fact that he will be betrayed by one of his twelve followers. He shares the bread and wine, generally considered symbols for his body and blood. The Last Supper is described most clearly in the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke.
This dramatic gathering has been a source of inspiration for the visual arts. The first paintings of The Last Supper were quite static - as can be seen in the works of Duccio (1308-11) and Ghirlandaio (1480). All figures are nicely seated in their chair, despite the fact that they have just learned of their master's coming betrayal.
A difficult problem for all painters of the tableau is the grouping of the figures. Duccio chose a reasonably credible one: everyone is seated around a table. A drawback of this grouping is that the faces of some of the followers are not visible. Ghirlandaio has them seated behind a long table opposite the traitor Judas, who sits alone.
Read more at Art and the Bible.
Love,
Posted in Art, Easter, Lent | Permalink
