The Last Supper (Ms. Ludwig IX 19, fol. 83v, from the Prayer Book of Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg)

Simon Bening · about 1525–1530
Getty Center, Los Angeles

Another page painted by Simon Bening in Bruges about 1525–1530 for the prayer book of Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg. The scene is set inside a carved Gothic frame painted in gold, as if it were a small altarpiece.

Jesus sits at the far side of a round table, a young disciple leaning against him. The others sit around it, some with their backs to us. A jug stands on the tiled floor.

From the text

Jesus reclining with the twelve disciples (Matthew 26:20)

“The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with Me” (Matthew 26:23)

The artist’s own

A round table in a Flemish room with glass windows

The young disciple leaning on Jesus — from John 13:23, painted as a tradition

A painted gold frame with statuettes

Details

Jesus

He sits at the centre of the table.

The table

Bread, dishes and fruit on a white cloth.

Disciples

Men in red, green and blue sit with their backs to us.

The frame

A small gold statue in the painted frame.

Simon Bening (Flemish, about 1483–1561). The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles (Ms. Ludwig IX 19 (83.ML.115), fol. 83v) · Tempera colors, gold paint, and gold leaf · Images provided here are believed to be in the public domain and are available under CC0 through Getty’s Open Content Program. (Getty record: "No Copyright", http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)

The verses

Matt 26:20–26When evening came, Jesus was reclining with the twelve disciples. And while they were eating, He said to them, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray Me.” They were deeply grieved and began to ask Him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?” Jesus answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with Me will betray Me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed. It would be better for him if he had not been born.” Then Judas, who would betray Him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said it yourself.” While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.”