By Anne Leader
Today (24 March 2016) is Holy, or Maundy, Thursday, when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet in an act of humility that is seen as a reminder of the cleansing waters of Baptism and a foreshadowing of the purification brought by the Crucifixion. After this ritual cleansing, Jesus shared his final meal, or Last Supper, with his followers, predicting his death and instituting the Eucharist for the first time. While the Last Supper was often painted by Italian artists as a stand-alone image in Italian refectories (monastic dining rooms), the less common scene of foot washing more typically appears alongside Last Supper imagery in Passion cycles.
Giotto, Christ Washing the Feet of His Apostles and Last Supper, ca. 1305, Arena Chapel, Padua
Duccio, Christ Washing the Feet of His Apostles and Last Supper, 1308-11, Maestà, Siena, Museo dell’Opera del Duomo
Andrea del Castagno, Last Supper, 1447, fresco, refectory, Sant’Apollonia, Florence
Leonardo da Vinci, Last Supper, 1495-98, mural, refectory, Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan
Giovanni Agostino da Lodi, Washing of the Feet, 1500, panel, Venice, Galleria dell’Accademia
Andrea del Sarto, Last Supper, 1520-25, fresco, Convent of San Salvi, Florence
Palma Giovane, Washing of the Feet, 1591-2, oil on canvas, San Giovanni in Bragora, Venice
Tintoretto, Last Supper, 1592-4, oil on canvas, choir, S, Giorgio Maggiore, Venice