The Last Supper

Juan de Juanes' The Last Supper is one of the many versions the Valencian painter devoted to the scene of Jesus sharing his final meal with his twelve apostles on the night before the Passion, one of the most frequently repeated subjects in Christian art since the Renaissance. The composition follows the model Leonardo da Vinci had established in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, with Jesus at the centre and the apostles grouped on either side of the table. The handling of the figures and the colour, however, bring to mind Raphael more than Leonardo, which is why this version is regarded as one of the liveliest and most chromatically advanced works of the Spanish Renaissance. The chalice on the table has been identified with one preserved in the Diocesan Cathedral Museum of Valencia, which is thought to be of medieval origin and is traditionally linked to the Holy Grail. According to the reference material, the painting dates from between 1555 and 1562 and was commissioned for the high altar of the church of San Esteban in Valencia. It is now held by the Museo del Prado.

Painter

Juan de Juanes

Date

1555

Medium

oil paint, panel

Dimensions

116 × 1911 cm

Museum

Museo del Prado, Madrid

Movement

Spanish Renaissance painting

Genre

religious art

Depicts

Simon the Zealot, Holy Chalice, Jesus Christ, knife, Saint Peter, Andrew the Apostle, Matthew the Apostle, Thomas the Apostle

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