GADDI, Agnolo - "The Last Supper" - c. 1395 - Tempera on wood
Lindenau-Museum, Altenburg
1 Cor 11:23-26
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
For several years I posted Dali's "The Sacrament of the Last Supper" on Maundy Thursday. I love the painting, but I wanted to go in a different direction this year. I chose Gaddi's painting shown above. I love the 14th century Italian version, too, with its lovely colors and gold leaf, and Jesus and his Apostles pressed together in the intimacy of the scene as painted by Gaddi.
Collect of the Day: Maundy Thursday
Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Image from the Web Gallery of Art.
Ann, I like the painting, too, and the explanation. As though Da Vinci was at the Last Supper....
ReplyDeleteLovely painting, Mimi. I like it better than Dali's, to be honest.
ReplyDeleteCathy, thanks. The Italian paintings from the 13th and 14th centuries are so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI like it . . . but doesn't it look like he FORGOT to paint "the Beloved Disciple", and added him at the last minute? [He's like a pink splotch on table cloth, w/ a halo'd head! *LOL* (Might need to embiggen to see what I mean)]
ReplyDeleteJCF, now that you mention it, the Beloved is sort of lost in the painting. Spoiler! :-)
ReplyDeleteI wanted a painting with Jesus and the Apostles reclining at supper, but I could not find one that was satisfactory, but I notice that Counterlight has a lovely painting by Poussin.
He posted a wonderful series of paintings on the seven sacraments by Poussin. I mean to go over and leave a comment, when I have a chance.