Gene Fackler<\/b><\/p>\n
While Da Vinci\u2019s original Last Supper<\/i> is being restored today, it is in such disrepair that the bag of money is hard to see and the salt spilled on the table cannot be seen at all. However, we know about the spilled salt because Da Vinci had one of his best pupils, Marco di Omaggiono, copy the Last Supper on a smaller scale. A common practice among the great painters, his pupil\u2019s work clarified the painting\u2019s details. Omaggiono did the outline and Da Vinci applied the color. It is on this copy that we see the spilled salt.<\/b><\/p>\n
The Bible offers only minimal information as to the precise situation of the Last Supper. Artists throughout history have used these clues and \u201cartistic license\u201d as they present their own version of the scene. ABR staff artist Gene Fackler examines some of the famous artistic depictions of this event, comparing them with Scripture<\/i>.<\/p>\n
LEONARDO DA VINCI (1495\u201398), a giant in the roster of famous master painters, painted The Last Supper<\/i> nine years before Martin Luther nailed up his 95 theses, and it took seven years to paint. The Last Supper<\/i> is not a framed painting that hangs on a wall. Without exaggeration, it is the wall itself!<\/p>\n
While a large modern dining room table might be 2.5 m (8 ft) long, Da Vinci\u2019s Last Supper<\/i> table measures over 8.5 m (28 ft) long. The picture is also over 4.5 m (15 ft) high, with all the disciples over 2.4 m (8 ft) tall. .. truly larger than life!<\/p>\n
In reality, the Last Supper did not take place around a 80 cm (32 in) -tall table. Instead of sitting on chairs, the disciples reclined on their left side around three sides of a table. Among the Romans, this type of dining was known as a triclinium (\u201cthree recliner,\u201d Jn 13:23; Lk 22:14).<\/p>\n
In Da Vinci\u2019s painting it is difficult to determine whether the disciples are sitting or standing. Instead of \u201creclining,\u201d as Scripture notes, eight figures are definitely standing, two seem to be seated, and three could be doing either.<\/p>\n
John 13:23\u201325 notes that \u201cJohn reclined upon Jesus\u2019 breast.\u201d Apparently on Jesus\u2019 right, John reclined on his left side and when he leaned back his head would have leaned on Jesus\u2019 chest. At the same time, Judas is also mentioned near, even next to, Jesus. When asked by Peter who would betray Him, Jesus answered,<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.\u201d So when He had dipped the morsel, He gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot (Jn 13:26, NAS).<\/p>\n
It appears John reclined on Jesus\u2019 right, leaning on Jesus. Judas apparently reclined on Jesus\u2019 left, and possibly Jesus even leaned His head on Judas as He gave him the dipped morsel.<\/p>\n
How do we know which figure is Judas in Da Vinci\u2019s Last Supper<\/i>? Scripture notes that Judas was \u201ckeeper of the money bag\u201d (Jn 12:6), apparently indicating he was the group\u2019s treasurer. I have collected 80 photos of classical paintings of the Last Supper, and in 90 percent, one man holds a \u201cmoney bag.\u201d This is how Da Vinci depicts Judas Iscariot.<\/p>\n
Da Vinci is the master of subtlety. Like Mona Lisa\u2019s<\/i> subtle smile, some see it but others do not. Da Vinci masterfully included a second clue of Judas\u2019 betrayal and identification. Beyond clutching the money bag under his right arm, in front of his plate is a small container of salt which has been tipped over and spilled on the table.<\/p>\n
BSP<\/i> 13:1 (Winter 2000) p. 24<\/p>\n
When we spill a little salt in our home, we simply brush it aside with little thought. However, salt played a greater role in everyday Biblical life. Beyond use in daily meals, salt was also part of sacrificial offerings to the Lord.<\/p>\n
Every grain offering of yours you shall season with salt, so that the salt of the covenant of your God shall not be lacking from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt (Lv 2:13, NAS).<\/p>\n
Salt was also part of the covenant-making process. Covenants were generally confirmed by sacrificial meals, and salt was always present. David received his kingdom forever from God by a \u201ccovenant of salt\u201d (2 Chr 13:5). Eating together was part of friendship and salt was regularly on the table, thus the Arabic expressions, \u201cThere is salt between us,\u201d and \u201cHe has eaten my salt.\u201d Covenants could be broken by the symbolic act of casting salt on the ground.<\/p>\n
In Da Vinci\u2019s Last Supper<\/i>, not only was Judas clutching the money bag with 30 pieces of silver, but in front of him was a pile of spilled salt. It perfectly symbolized a broken covenant of friendship (Ps 41:9, Jn 13:18).<\/p>\n
Famous depictions of the Last Supper appear in four different art forms; engravings, paintings, sculptures and wall-size tapestries. Generally, John the Beloved Disciple is leaning on the breast of Jesus, and Judas the Treasurer and Betrayer is represented as holding the money bag. Beyond these two, it is impossible to identify any of the other disciples. The same is true of Scripture, where their places around the table is unstated.<\/p>\n
Dutch Painter Albrecht Durer (1471-1528)<\/b><\/p>\n
Durer was a very close friend of Martin Luther and supported all the principles of the Reformation. Known for his deep piety and personal faith in Christ, one of his deeply-moving devotional statements is in Francis Schaeffer\u2019s book, How Then Shall We Live<\/i>. Durer came from a family of 18 brothers and sisters. His father was a goldsmith and couldn\u2019t afford to send two sons to art school, so Durer\u2019s older brother went to work in a coal mine so Albrecht could attend art school. Becoming one of the world\u2019s great artists with a dynamic personal testimony, Durer painted the famous Praying Hands<\/i> in honor of his older brother\u2019s sacrifice for him.<\/p>\n
In Durer\u2019s Last Supper<\/i>, Judas is also identified by the money bag. Seated on the composition\u2019s right front and leaning forward, he grasps the money bag in his right hand. There he sits, looking so involved and committed in a great spiritual activity, yet he was a traitor.<\/p>\n
Albrecht Durer: black line drawing.<\/b><\/p>\n
BSP<\/i> 13:1 (Winter 2000) p. 25<\/p>\n
Anonymous (16th Century) German Limestone Carving<\/b><\/p>\n
This beautiful carving, with its three-dimensional quality, is large and heavy, typical of what was hung on a stone wall inside a cathedral. Apparently John has prostrated himself on the round communion table while Jesus rests His left hand on his head. John seems to be in a state of grief, perhaps after hearing Jesus say, \u201cOne of you will betray me.\u201d Where is Judas? Seated on a chair in the right foreground with his back toward us, he clutches the money bag, holding it behind the chair out of the other disciples\u2019 sight.<\/p>\n
Jesus knew something about that money bag that none of the disciples knew. It contained 30 silver coins with the fingerprints of the chief priests who paid Judas to betray the Lord. Later attempting to return the money, Judas would say, \u201cI have sinned by betraying innocent blood\u201d (Mt. 27:3, 4). That little bag, hid from the rest of the disciples, came to be known as \u201cblood money.\u201d<\/p>\n
The style of dress in this art work is not first century Palestine, but common to 16th-century Europe. To help viewers identify with the scene, artists will use a variety of conventions to pull them into the composition. While all artists want their work appreciated, many also want the message to reach people\u2019s hearts.<\/p>\n
Anonymous: 16th-century limestone carving. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.<\/b><\/p>\n
BSP<\/i> 13:1 (Winter 2000) p. 26<\/p>\n
Philippe De Champaigne (1602-1674), Belgian, Oil Painting<\/b><\/p>\n
Champaigne gave distinct personalities to each of the 12 Disciples in his Last Supper<\/i>. Prominent are expressions on the faces and gestures of the disciples as they see Jesus point one finger upward and say, \u201cone. .. of you will betray me.\u201d. .. Some point toward others, while one puts his hand to his own chest as if to say, \u201cIs it I?\u201d. Judas sits on the extreme left end of the table. He\u2019s expressionless, unmoved, his bent wrist on his hip conveys a nonchalant attitude. He holds the tell-tale money bag in his left hand resting on his thigh. I sense he is ready to rise, go out and \u201cdo quickly\u201d his infamous deed.<\/p>\n
Large Flemish Wall Tapestry (16th Century)<\/b><\/p>\n
Large tapestries usually covered whole walls, serving as beautiful artwork and insulation against the cold stone walls of castles and cathedrals. I have seen wall tapestries measuring up to 6 m (20 ft) wide and high.<\/p>\n
John, the Beloved Disciple, is reclining on the breast of Jesus, who in turn has wrapped His right arm over His shoulder and across His chest. John is clasping his hands together in front of himself, the picture of peace and contentment. Judas is in the right foreground clutching his toga to quickly step over his seat and go out into night. The money bag is tucked under his belt on his left hip. If you count the individuals in the picture you\u2019ll note 14 people. Beyond Jesus and the 12, a servant is in the left foreground pouring wine into a cup. It is possible the owner of the house provided someone to help serve the Passover meal that night, allowing all the disciples to participate in the meal with undivided attention.<\/p>\n
Philippe de Champaigne: oil painting.<\/b><\/p>\n
16th century large Flemish Wall Tapestry.<\/b><\/p>\n
BSP<\/i> 13:1 (Winter 2000) p. 27<\/p>\n
Anonymous: Oil Painting (16th Century), Lisbon.<\/b><\/p>\n
This painting was decoration near the main altar of a church in Portugal. The artist depicts an activity we have not seen before. Jesus is actually handing a morsel of bread across the table to Judas just as He said. . .<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s the one to whom I will give a piece of bread after I\u2019ve dipped it in the sauce.\u201d And Jesus dipped the bread and gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot (Jn 13:25).<\/p>\n
Judas has a money bag under his belt along with a dagger.<\/p>\n
It was a common practice that faces of a town\u2019s dignitaries adorned the bodies of the disciples. It is told that Michelangelo painted the likeness of one of his antagonists on the body of an individual in the scene of eternal damnation on the back wall of the Sistine Chapel. It\u2019s still there after six centuries.<\/p>\n
Anonymous: Lisbon oil painting (16th century).<\/b><\/p>\n
I.A.M. Masters (1485), A Pickpocket in the Crowd<\/b><\/p>\n
This work is truly unique. Masters painted in the style of a modern-day surveillance camera. Scripture notes \u201c.. . he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it\u201d (Jn 12:6). Judas was apparently the group\u2019s treasurer, and he was apparently stealing from the treasury.<\/p>\n
In this black line drawing, note the figure in the foreground, precisely in the center of the painting. He is picking the pocket of his fellow disciple! Unadulterated hypocrisy, it reminds us of Jesus\u2019 words, \u201cBut woe to the man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for that man if he had never been born\u201d (Mt 26:24).<\/p>\n
I.A.M. Masters: Engraving of a pickpocket.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Gene Fackler While Da Vinci\u2019s original Last Supper is being restored today, it is in such disrepair that the bag of money is hard to see and the salt spilled on the table cannot be seen at all. However, we know about the spilled salt because Da Vinci had one of his best pupils, Marco … Continue reading “THE
\nLAST SUPPER IN ART AND HISTORY”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15282\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}