Last Supper (Primary Title)
Unknown (Artist)
Depictions of the Last Supper typically present the twelve disciples flanking Christ, here seen at the center wearing a red tunic and green shawl. Seated on the far right, Judas Iscariot, Christ’s betrayer, is the only disciple who, true to the biblical account, puts his hand in the bowl with Christ. The artist has tellingly positioned him as the sole figure looking to the left.
Only eight disciples can be counted. However, small glimpses of flesh tones at the upper right and left edges and missing staples at the sides are cues that a top panel with the faces of the remaining disciples has been lost. The notches at the lower corners of the panel suggest that this painting was once set in some type of framework, perhaps a door or a shutter.
Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston, TX, August 31, 2007 - September 1, 2008; Pacific Science Center, Seattle, WA, October 4, 2008 - March 8, 2009; Discovery Times Square Exposition, New York, NY, June 24 - October 25, 2009
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