The Last Supper meaning of the picture. “The Last Supper” - the brilliant work of Leonardo da Vinci

Date of creation: 1495-1497.
Type: tempera.
Dimensions: 460*880 cm.

Last Supper

One of famous masters Renaissance received an order for a large-scale fresco depicting the Last Supper in the refectory of the Church of Santa Maria Grazie in Milan. It is obvious that Lodovico Sforza was the initiator of this order, since he wished to make a generous gift to the Dominican brotherhood. The coat of arms of the Sforza family can be seen in the arch located above the room where the events take place. Last Supper.

Philip, Matthew, Judas Thaddeus.

In the first sketches of the composition, Vinci intended to depict the moment of handing over a piece of bread to Judas, which meant that Christ would be betrayed by this particular apostle. However, in the version that has come down to us, the concept has been changed. The master does not depict a fragment of Christ's Holy Week. Thanks to what scholars know about the preparatory phase of the fresco's creation, it is clear that Leonardo, in the final version of the work, chose to depict the moment of Judas's identification as a traitor.

Bartholomew, James the Younger, Andrew.

The painting depicts Christ at the Easter meal with the apostles. In the room behind Christ and the apostles there are three windows, from which a view of the surrounding landscape opens. Leonardo meticulously painted distant trees and hills: this landscape is reminiscent of Milanese landscapes. The artist managed to achieve the effect of a three-dimensional image by making the table part of the refectory wall. As it is written in the Gospel (Matthew 26: 17-29), the table for this supper was set with Passover dishes, fruits and wine. In Leonardo's fresco there are dishes with eel and oranges - the artist's favorite food. All the apostles sit along the table, on the side opposite from the viewer, which makes it possible to observe even their shoes under the table. The tablecloth is painted realistically and the dishes standing on it, to the right and left of the table, the edges of the tablecloth hang exactly the same.

Simon Peter (behind), Judas, John.

Leonardo divides 12 figures into 4 subgroups, three people each, creating a canvas where each of the heroes has individual traits: They shout, talk, turn around, their faces express disbelief and confusion. The variety of angles, poses and gestures resemble an illustration of the physical laws of optics and dynamics. Like a drop falling into a stationary container of water, the words about the betrayal of one of the apostles upset the state of balance. This analogy, coupled with studies of Leonardo’s optics, makes us consider the fresco as a set of achievements of science and visual arts.

Thomas, James the Elder, Philip.

Christ

The figure of Christ is located in the center of the picture, as always in paintings on gospel story. Leonardo depicts him as a young man. The calm expression on his face evokes surprise and distrust among the apostles that one of those gathered at this table would betray him. Leonardo conveys precisely this moment of the meal, contrasting the peace of Jesus with the excitement of his disciples, who look at each other, gesticulate, wondering which of them could decide to do this. Every now and then they turn to Christ with the question: “Isn’t it me, Lord?..” - and with a shudder of heart they wait for the answer. Leonardo places the figure of Christ in the center of the table. All the compositional lines of the picture converge at one point - towards the head of Christ, creating a centripetal perspective.

Arch

The central arch depicts the coat of arms of Lodovico Sforza and his wife, the inscription reads: LU(dovicus) MA(ria) BE(atrix) EST(ensis) SF(ortia) AN(glus) DUX (mediolani). In the arch on the left is the coat of arms of Lodovico's son Massimiliano with text. The text in the right arch is adjacent to the coat of arms of the Duke of Bari, belonging to Lodovico's second son, Francesco.

Fresco in our time

Fatal mistakes in early attempts to restore the painting had a detrimental effect on both the original colors of the fresco and on the expressions of faces and the outlines of figures. But the latest stage marked a new milestone in restoration methodology, and also shed light on some of the details hidden under the layers of paint applied after Leonardo put down his brush. In addition, it became known about complex experiments with lighting, about conceptual ideas regarding perspective.

Of course, a work of such scale, such detail and importance for both art and science, asks more questions than it answers, and also deserves a more detailed acquaintance with itself. Historians and art historians devote their lives to researching the masterpiece, gradually revealing some of the secrets of the fresco, but all the riddles and messages of the great Leonardo are unlikely to be deciphered.

Fresco "The Last Supper" updated: September 12, 2017 by: Gleb

“The Last Supper” (Italian: Il Cenacolo or L’Ultima Cena) is a fresco by Leonardo da Vinci depicting the scene of Christ’s last supper with his disciples. Created in 1495-1498 in the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.

General information

The dimensions of the image are approximately 450x870 cm, it is located in the refectory of the monastery, on the back wall. The theme is traditional for this type of premises. The opposite wall of the refectory is covered with a fresco by another master; Leonardo also put his hand to it.

Leonardo da Vinci. Last Supper, 1495-1498. Ultima price. 460×880 cm. Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan
Photo clickable

The painting was commissioned by Leonardo from his patron, Duke Ludovico Sforza and his wife Beatrice d'Este. The lunettes above the fresco, formed by a ceiling with three arches, are painted with the Sforza coat of arms. The painting began in 1495 and was completed in 1498; work proceeded intermittently. The date of the start of work is not certain, since "the archives of the monastery were destroyed, and the negligible part of the documents that we have dates back to 1497, when the painting was almost completed."

Three early copies of the fresco are known to exist, presumably by an assistant of Leonardo.

The painting became a milestone in the history of the Renaissance: the correctly reproduced depth of perspective changed the direction of the development of Western painting.

Technique

Leonardo painted The Last Supper on a dry wall, not on wet plaster, so the painting is not a fresco in the true sense of the word. The fresco cannot be changed during work, and Leonardo decided to cover stone wall a layer of resin, plaster and mastic, and then write on this layer with tempera. Due to the chosen method, the painting began to deteriorate just a few years after the completion of the work.
Figures depicted

The apostles are depicted in groups of three, located around the figure of Christ sitting in the center. Groups of apostles, from left to right:

Bartholomew, Jacob Alfeev and Andrey;
Judas Iscariot (in green and blue clothes), Peter and John;
Thomas, James Zebedee and Philip;
Matthew, Judas Thaddeus and Simon.

In the 19th century they were found notebooks Leonardo da Vinci with the names of the apostles; previously only Judas, Peter, John and Christ had been identified with certainty.

Analysis of the picture

The fresco is believed to depict the moment when Jesus utters the words that one of the apostles will betray him (“and while they were eating, he said, “Truly I say to you, one of you will betray me,” and the reaction of each of them.

As in other depictions of the Last Supper of the time, Leonardo places those sitting at the table on one side so that the viewer can see their faces. Majority previous works on this topic they excluded Judas, placing him alone at the part of the table opposite to the one at which the other eleven apostles and Jesus were sitting, or depicting all the apostles except Judas with a halo. Judas clutches a small pouch, perhaps representing the silver he received for betraying Jesus, or an allusion to his role among the twelve apostles as treasurer. He was the only one with his elbow on the table. The knife in Peter's hand, pointing away from Christ, perhaps refers the viewer to the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane during the arrest of Christ.

Jesus' gesture can be interpreted in two ways. According to the Bible, Jesus predicts that his betrayer will reach out to eat at the same time he does. Judas reaches for the dish, not noticing that Jesus is also reaching for him. right hand. At the same time, Jesus points to bread and wine, symbolizing the sinless body and shed blood respectively.

The figure of Jesus is positioned and illuminated in such a way that the viewer's attention is drawn primarily to him. The head of Jesus is at a vanishing point for all lines of perspective.

The painting contains repeated references to the number three:

the apostles sit in groups of three;
behind Jesus there are three windows;
the contours of the figure of Christ resemble a triangle.

The light illuminating the entire scene does not come from the windows painted behind, but comes from the left, like the real light from the window on the left wall.

In many places the picture passes golden ratio, for example, where Jesus and John, who is to his right, put their hands, the canvas is divided in this ratio.

Damage and restoration

Already in 1517, the paint of the painting began to peel off due to moisture. In 1556, biographer Leonardo Vasari described the painting as being badly damaged and so deteriorated that the figures were almost unrecognizable. In 1652, a doorway was made through the painting, later blocked with bricks; it can still be seen in the middle of the base of the painting. Early copies suggest that Jesus' feet were in a position symbolizing his impending crucifixion. In 1668, a curtain was hung over the painting for protection; instead, it blocked the evaporation of moisture from the surface, and when the curtain was pulled back, it scratched the peeling paint.

The first restoration was undertaken in 1726 by Michelangelo Belotti, who filled in the missing places oil paint, and then covered the fresco with varnish. This restoration did not last long, and another was undertaken in 1770 by Giuseppe Mazza. Mazza cleaned up Belotti's work and then extensively rewrote the mural: he rewrote all but three faces, and then was forced to stop the work due to public outrage. In 1796, French troops used the refectory as an armory; they threw stones at the paintings and climbed ladders to scratch out the apostles' eyes. The refectory was then used as a prison. In 1821 Stefano Barezzi, known for his ability to remove frescoes from walls with extreme care, was invited to move the painting to a safer place; he seriously damaged the central section before realizing that Leonardo's work was not a fresco. Barezzi attempted to reattach the damaged areas with glue. From 1901 to 1908, Luigi Cavenaghi carried out the first thorough study of the structure of the painting, and then Cavenaghi began clearing it. In 1924, Oreste Silvestri carried out further clearing and stabilized some parts with plaster.

During World War II, on August 15, 1943, the refectory was bombed. Sandbags prevented bomb fragments from entering the painting, but vibration could have had a detrimental effect.

In 1951-1954, Mauro Pelliccoli carried out another restoration with clearing and stabilization.

Main restoration

In the 1970s, the fresco looked badly damaged. From 1978 to 1999, under the leadership of Pinin Brambilla Barcilon, a large-scale restoration project was carried out, the goal of which was to permanently stabilize the painting and get rid of the damage caused by dirt, pollution and improper restorations of the 18th and 19th centuries. Since it was impractical to move the painting to a quieter environment, the refectory itself was converted into such a sealed, climate-controlled environment, which required bricking up the windows. Detailed research was then carried out to determine the original form of the painting using infrared reflectoscopy and examination of core samples, as well as original cartons from the Royal Library of Windsor Castle. Some areas were considered beyond restoration. They were re-painted in muted watercolors to show, without distracting the viewer's attention, that they were not an original work.

The restoration took 21 years. On May 28, 1999, the painting was opened for viewing. Visitors must book tickets in advance and can only spend 15 minutes there. When the fresco was unveiled, heated debate arose over the dramatic changes in colors, tones and even the ovals of the faces of several figures. James Beck, a professor of art history at Columbia University and founder of ArtWatch International, had a particularly harsh assessment of the work.

Santa Maria delle Grazie

In one of the quiet corners of Milan, lost in the lace of narrow streets, stands the Church of Santa Maria della Grazie. Next to it, in an inconspicuous refectory building, a masterpiece of masterpieces, the fresco “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci, has been living and amazing people for more than 500 years.

The composition of “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned by Duke Lodovico Moro, who ruled Milan at that time. The plot of “The Last Supper” was depicted by Florentine painters even before Leonardo, but among them only the work of Giotto (or his students) and two frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio can be noted.

For his fresco on the wall of the refectory of the monastery of Santa Maria della Grazie, da Vinci chose the moment when Christ says to his disciples: “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me,” and the icy breath of inevitable fate touched each of the apostles.

After these words, the most different feelings: some were amazed, others were outraged, others were saddened.

Young Philip, ready for self-sacrifice, bowed to Christ, Jacob threw up his hands in tragic bewilderment, was about to rush at the traitor, Peter grabbed a knife, Judas’s right hand clutched a purse with fatal pieces of silver...

For the first time in painting, the most complex range of feelings found such a deep and subtle reflection. Everything in this fresco is done with amazing truth and care, even the folds on the tablecloth covering the table look real.

In Leonardo, just like in Giotto, all the figures in the composition are located on the same line - facing the viewer. Christ is depicted without a halo, the apostles without their attributes, which were characteristic of them in ancient paintings.

They express their emotional anxiety through their facial expressions and movements. “The Last Supper” is one of Leonardo’s great creations, whose fate turned out to be very tragic. Anyone who has seen this fresco in our days experiences a feeling of indescribable grief at the sight of the terrible losses that inexorable time and human barbarity have inflicted on the masterpiece.

Meanwhile, how much time, how much inspired work and the most ardent love Leonardo da Vinci invested in the creation of his work! They say that he could often be seen, suddenly abandoning everything he was doing, running in the middle of the day in the most intense heat to St. Mary's Church to draw a single line or correct the outline in the Last Supper.

He was so passionate about his work that he wrote incessantly, sat at it from morning to evening, forgetting about food and drink. It happened, however, that for several days he did not take up his brush at all, but even on such days he remained in the refectory for two or three hours, indulging in thought and examining the figures already painted.

All this greatly irritated the prior of the Dominican monastery, to whom (as Vasari writes) “it seemed strange that Leonardo stood immersed in thought and contemplation for a good half of the day.

He wanted the artist not to let go of his brushes, just as one does not stop working in the garden. The abbot complained to the duke himself, but he, after listening to Leonardo, said that the artist was right a thousand times over. As Leonardo explained to him, the artist first creates in his mind and imagination, and then captures his inner creativity with a brush.”

Leonardo carefully chose models for the images of the apostles. He went every day to those quarters of Milan where the lower strata of society and even criminal people lived. There he was looking for a model for the face of Judas, whom he considered the greatest scoundrel in the world.

The entire composition of “The Last Supper” is permeated with the movement that the words of Christ gave rise to. On the wall, as if overcoming it, the ancient gospel tragedy unfolds before the viewer. The traitor Judas sits with the other apostles, while the old masters depicted him sitting separately.

But Leonardo da Vinci brought out his gloomy isolation much more convincingly, shrouding his features in shadow. Jesus Christ is the center of the entire composition, of all the whirlpool of passions that rage around him. Leonardo's Christ is an ideal human beauty, nothing betrays a deity in him. His inexpressibly tender face breathes deep sorrow, he is great and touching, but he remains human. In the same way, fear, surprise, horror, vividly depicted by the gestures, movements, and facial expressions of the apostles, do not exceed ordinary human feelings.

This gave the French researcher Charles Clément reason to ask the question: “Having perfectly expressed true feelings, did Leonardo give his creation all the power that such a subject requires?” Da Vinci was by no means a Christian or a religious artist; religious thought does not appear in any of his works. No confirmation of this was found in his notes, where he consistently wrote down all his thoughts, even the most secret ones.

Christ and the twelve apostles sit on this elevation, closing the monks’ tables with a quadrangle, and, as it were, celebrate their supper with them.

The identities of the apostles have repeatedly been the subject of controversy, but judging by the inscriptions on a copy of the painting kept in Lugano, from left to right: Bartholomew, James the Younger, Andrew, Judas, Peter, John, Thomas, James the Elder, Philip, Matthew, Thaddeus and Simon Zelot.

From the center - Jesus Christ - the movement spreads across the figures of the apostles in breadth, until, in its utmost tension, it rests on the edges of the refectory. And then our gaze again rushes to the lonely figure of the Savior. His head is illuminated as if by the natural light of the refectory.

Light and shadow, dissolving each other in an elusive movement, gave the face of Christ a special spirituality. But when creating his “Last Supper,” Leonardo could not draw the face of Jesus Christ. He carefully painted the faces of all the apostles, the landscape outside the refectory window, and the dishes on the table. After much searching, I wrote Jude. But the face of the Savior remained the only one unfinished on this fresco.

It would seem that “The Last Supper” should have been carefully preserved, but in reality everything turned out differently. The great da Vinci himself is partly to blame for this. When creating the fresco, Leonardo used a new (he himself invented) method of priming the wall and new line-up paints This allowed him to work slowly, intermittently, making frequent changes to already written parts of the work.

The result at first turned out to be excellent, but after a few years, traces of incipient destruction appeared on the painting: spots of dampness appeared, the paint layer began to peel off in small leaves. In 1500, three years after the writing of the Last Supper, water flooded the refectory, touching the fresco. Ten years later, a terrible plague struck Milan, and the monastic brethren forgot about the treasure kept in their monastery. By 1566 she was already in a very pitiful state.

The monks cut a door in the middle of the picture, which was needed to connect the refectory with the kitchen. This door destroyed the legs of Christ and some of the apostles, and then the picture was disfigured with a huge state emblem, which was attached above the picture itself.

Later, the painting was restored many times, but not always successfully. What gives The Last Supper its unique character is that, unlike other paintings of its kind, it shows the amazing variety and richness of the characters’ emotions caused by Jesus’ words that one of his disciples would betray him.

No other painting of the Last Supper can even come close to the unique composition and attention to detail in Leonardo's masterpiece.

So what secrets could he encrypt in his creation? great artist? In The Discovery of the Templars, Clive Prince and Lynn Picknett argue that several elements of the structure of the Last Supper indicate symbols encrypted in it.

First, they believe that the figure on the right hand of Jesus (to the viewer's left) is not John, but a woman. She is wearing a robe, the color of which contrasts with the clothes of Christ, and she is tilted in the opposite direction from Jesus, who is sitting in the center. The space between this female figure and Jesus is shaped like the letter V, and the figures themselves form the letter M.

Secondly, in the picture, in their opinion, a certain hand is visible next to Peter, clutching a knife. Prince and Picknett claim that this hand does not belong to any of the characters in the film.

Thirdly, sitting directly to the left of Jesus (to the right for the audience), Thomas, addressing Christ, raised his finger. According to the authors, this is a typical gesture of John the Baptist.

And finally, there is a hypothesis that the Apostle Thaddeus, sitting with his back to Christ, is actually a self-portrait of Leonardo himself.

The recently completed latest restoration of the painting has made it possible to learn a lot about it. But the question of secret messages and forgotten symbols remains open.

Be that as it may was, in the future There is still a lot to be done to unravel these mysteries. I would like to understand at least to the smallest extent the plans of the great master.

"The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most famous images the last meal of Jesus Christ with his disciples. He began work on it in 1495 or 1496, and finished it in 1498. This Renaissance masterpiece has been praised, studied and copied for over 500 years, and the fresco itself is still on the wall of the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. Edition Business Insider spoke about it with historian and author of Leonardo da Vinci and the Last Supper, Ross King.

At one time the fresco was very popular

Despite the fact that today da Vinci is known as the author of various inventions, manuscripts, drawings and sketches, it was The Last Supper that ensured his fame during his lifetime. According to King, the image immediately became very popular in Europe. “It was the most copied painting of the next century. Not only paint was used, but also marble, wax and ceramics. Everyone wanted their own version. Leonardo finally created the work he dreamed of so much and which brought him fame,” he noted.

The composition is based on the rule of thirds. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The fresco depicts the reaction of the apostles to the words of Jesus: “And Truly I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” King noted that Da Vinci, more than anyone else, did justice to this episode. “He grouped the 13 figures in the image in such a way that each would stand out in its gestures without detracting from the overall effect,” the historian added. Each of the figures turned out to be unique and memorable, and all thanks to the details.

The fresco miraculously managed to survive

The Last Supper has survived bombing, dampness and centuries of environmental damage. When asked why this 15th-century image is still so revered today, King replies that its preservation is almost a miracle. “Even a hundred years ago it was considered lost forever. And after the recent restoration we can appreciate its beauty. Even despite some damage, this beautiful picture", he added.

Several times the Last Supper was on the verge of destruction

There have been many dangers in the history of frescoes. When King Louis XII invaded Milan in 1499, he intended to cut the image from the cathedral wall and take it with him. By the middle of the 16th century, the fresco was considered completely destroyed due to moisture and delamination of paint.

In 1796, the French encroached on it again. This time in the face French Revolution. Then the troops used the monastery refectory as their base and expressed their anti-church thoughts in front of the image.

However, this is not all bad in his story. The city authorities used this premises to hold prisoners. In the 19th century, some people with good intentions tried to restore the fresco, but their attempt almost ended with the painting being torn into two parts. However, the most dramatic incident occurred on August 15, 1943, when Allied troops bombed the building. And although most of the church turned into a pile of rubble, the Last Supper remained unscathed.

It all started differently

Da Vinci began work on the fresco at a very inopportune time. Just a year before the start of the project, Louis XII began The first Italian war. “It was a terrible tragedy for Italy, the beginning of decades of occupation and struggle. For the artist, these events meant the loss of an order on which he had been working for about 10 years - a huge bronze horseman on a horse,” says King.

In those days, bronze was collected and melted into weapon steel. Da Vinci not only lost money due to the war, but also possible fame and reputation in artistic circles, which he so badly wanted to achieve. As compensation, he received an order for The Last Supper, although this did not seem to him a very good replacement.

Da Vinci thought he would never create a masterpiece again

“Now Leonardo is considered a genius who can do anything. But he had his disappointments and failures. In 1499 he was 42 years old. At the time, many contemporaries believed that he had wasted his potential. He was unable to complete several orders, as a result of which people began to consider the artist unreliable,” the historian comments. One of the poets mocked Da Vinci because he barely finished one painting in 10 years. Therefore, he really wanted to create something that would bring him fame and reputation among future generations. He managed to get all this after the Last Supper.

Da Vinci created a fresco on top of his early works

Thus, one of the apostles recalls one of his early works. Da Vinci was always searching interesting persons that could be captured. According to King, one of them can be found in the image Jacob Zebedee.

"He spreads his arms and open mouth looks at the bread and wine. Was there before beautiful drawing in red chalk, created 5 years earlier. A similar pose indicates that in the place of the apostle there was a musician playing the string instrument. Leonardo loved music very much and made a similar sketch. Ten years later he used it for the figure of Jacob,” continues King.

Despite popular speculation, Mary Magdalene is most likely not in the image

For many years there has been speculation that it is Mary Magdalene who is depicted to the right of Jesus, and not John the Theologian. However, King believes that this is not the case. “John the Evangelist was the youngest apostle, who was always depicted behind Jesus - without a beard and slightly androgynous. Leonardo adhered to this description, because this was the ideal of beauty that constantly appeared in his work,” King notes.

According to the historian, Mary Magdalene did sometimes appear in some paintings depicting the Last Supper. For example, Italian artist Fra Beato Angelico in one of the frescoes in the monastery of San Marco in Florence shows her preparing for communion along with the other apostles. Therefore, there is nothing surprising or strange in her appearances in such paintings. However, in this case, there is no need to look for her image.

Like other hidden symbols

“I am suspicious of the idea of hidden messages and codes in Renaissance paintings. There are many things in them that we cannot understand or appreciate after 500 years, for example, the gestures of the apostles. Each of them may have its own meaning, but we will never know it,” says King.

He also advises against taking conspiracy theories in Dan Brown novels too seriously. In his opinion, da Vinci only wanted to convey emotions and drama, and not some secret symbols. This is the obsession of our age, not his.

However, the fresco contains several references to the life of the artist himself.

You may forget about hidden symbols and encrypted messages, but this does not mean that there are no interesting details on the fresco. King believes that the images of the apostles are in many ways reminiscent of da Vinci’s friends and his contemporaries, and the fresco can in part be considered an image of the entourage of Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan and the customer. Additionally, the tapestries in the fresco are reminiscent of the tapestries in his residence.

In the fresco, da Vinci depicted Jesus Christ as a vegetarian

Bread and wine during the Last Supper have special meaning for Christians. However, in the fresco, da Vinci added several details that today may seem strange - pieces of grilled eel. The artist himself was a vegetarian, so he added this to his painting.

“The Last Supper” is the apogee of the work of one of the most outstanding artists in the world

It is difficult to find a person who is not at all familiar with the Last Supper icon. Those who regularly visit the temple and participate in church sacraments have probably seen it over the Royal Doors more than once. Those who are in the habit of praying at home before meals hang the image in the dining room. And an unbeliever, at least once in his life, has caught the eye of famous fresco Leonardo da Vinci, painted for a Milan monastery, is also, in fact, an icon... But what is the meaning behind it? What does the image symbolize? What purpose does it serve?

Sacrament of the Eucharist

What the Last Supper icon means for a Christian is both easy and extremely difficult to tell. It’s easy - because every person, even superficially familiar with the Holy Scriptures, knows what event it tells about. It’s difficult because everyone comes to the realization of the deep meaning of what happened during the festive meal in the Zion Upper Room in their own way...

All year round, with rare exceptions, the Church celebrates the Sacrament of Communion, established by Christ himself 2000 years ago. Then, at the Last Supper on the eve of Easter - and in the time of Jesus it was a holiday in honor of the liberation of the Jews from Egyptian slavery - a significant event occurred. Having washed the disciples’ feet with his own hands and shared a meal with them, Jesus broke the bread and distributed it to the apostles, saying: “This is my body.” And then, handing over the cup, he proclaimed: “This is My Blood.”

Since then, the Church has been reproducing this action in the Sacrament of Communion or, in other words, the Eucharist. In the Sacrament, thanks to which a person who once fell away from God can reunite with Him, become one with His higher nature, and receive invaluable spiritual benefits. By accepting bread and wine - the body and blood of Christ, sacrificed for people - we take into ourselves His part and eternal life.

The subject of the first communion is often found in church paintings

The main meaning of the Last Supper icon is to serve as a reminder of the first communion of the apostles, the subsequent betrayal of Judas and the voluntary sacrifice made by Jesus Christ for us.

Where to place the icon?

Do you need an icon of the Last Supper in your home? If you are a believer and want to add it to your home iconostasis, such a question should not arise. Of course you need it!

However, let’s make a reservation right away: there are no strict rules on this topic. There is only a tradition that requires that in a home Orthodox Christian there was an image of Jesus Christ, Mother of God and Saints. Whether it will be St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, especially revered by the Russian people, the saints whose names are borne by the owner of the house and members of his family, or anyone else, depends only on you. There is also a place in this series for the apostles, captured in one of the most significant, exciting moments: the reception of the first Holy Gifts on this earth.

Place an icon in the dining room to pray before meals. Or in the kitchen, where ordinary, but so homely and warm breakfasts and dinners are held. Or on your home iconostasis - why not?

Some families have kept truly precious relics for many decades.

By the way, the “Last Supper”, along with the “Holy Trinity,” is allowed to be placed above the faces of the Savior and the Mother of God - this image is so highly valued.

What to pray for?

How does the Last Supper icon help?

First of all, like any other, it gives us the opportunity to focus on communicating with God, to tell Him about our secret thoughts, worries and joys, to find peace of mind in prayer.
If the icon hangs in the kitchen, the housewife can read a short prayer, asking for blessings on the work begun every time he starts cooking.
If in the dining room, as already mentioned, they pray in front of the image before and after the meal.
In a church where the Last Supper is traditionally placed at the Royal Doors, parishioners turn to it in order to receive the blessing to correctly receive the Holy Gifts.
And before the image you can ask for forgiveness of sins, both in the temple and at home.

You can pray about everything that lies in a person’s soul.

Maundy Thursday in Church...

In memory of the festive meal, which was once secretly celebrated in Jerusalem, a separate day of Holy Week is dedicated - Maundy Thursday. In 2019, it falls on April 25, which means that on this day we will again remember with reverence the sacrament performed by the Savior for his disciples; empathize with his suffering on the cross; mourn death; rejoice in the resurrection and try to join Christ through confession and the Eucharist.

...And in folk traditions

It is not for nothing that Maundy Thursday is also called Clean Thursday. On this day, Christians strive to visit the bathhouse or take a bath at home. If this is not possible, for example if you are traveling, you should at least rinse your face and hands.

The water element is given Special attention. On this day, the peasants tried to take a moment and run to a source or to a stream with a bucket: it was believed that “Thursday water” washes away all the sins accumulated over the year, bestows health, and if you throw a worn thing into the river, troubles and adversities will flow away after it .

In memory of the washing of the feet of the apostles, we strive to celebrate the holiday in purity

However, the housewives had no time to go to the river. Thursday became a day of great cooking for them. Cottage cheese for Easter was being ground, Easter cakes were being baked, and savory dishes were simmering on the stove and sizzling in hot oil, which were supposed to be served to household members on the bright holiday. Well, other family members were busy painting eggs, because until the time it would be possible to give family, friends and acquaintances the main Easter treat in a bright shell, there was not much time left...

Video: Last Supper and First Communion

The video will tell you more about the meaning of the Sacrament of Communion and the Last Supper Orthodox TV channel"My joy":

And a little more about Maundy Thursday:

Photo gallery: The Last Supper on icons and frescoes

The miracle - there is no other way to call it - that took place in Jerusalem on the eve of Easter occupied the minds of icon painters and ordinary artists in all ages. All the better! Today we have an excellent opportunity to look at a wide variety of images of the Last Supper: photos of icons, frescoes and paintings painted both centuries ago and by modern masters. Each in its own way is a masterpiece!