Last Supper (1535-1540) by Vasco FernandesGrão Vasco National Museum
Despite natural wear and tear, and earlier repainting work, the 'Last Supper' (1535-40) is an essential work for identifying Grão Vasco’s creative dimension.
Vasco takes the formal groups away from the centre and arranges them at different levels of depth. He uses subtle gradations of colour, expressive density in the faces, and discreet details, from the foreground to the background.
In the central panel, the figures represented on this side of the wall indicate that it is the Last Supper or the Institution of the Eucharist.
Christ, who is holding the Eucharistic chalice, is flanked by St. Peter, St. John, and another haloed figure, an apostle.
St. Matthew, already identified as an evangelist through an inscription on his clothing, is depicted in a side-profile while in the act of writing.
In the left panel, seven apostles are arranged around a table, which is an L-shaped continuation from the central panel. They are joining in the feast by raising the Eucharistic host.
Judas, who is in the right panel, and also seen escaping in the left panel, depicted with the custom iconography of his betrayal, the purse of coins, and his yellow costume.
Discover more about the 'Last Supper'.
