The Last Supper

What you see

Thirteen men sit along one side of a long table, as if on a stage. Jesus, in the center with his arms spread, is framed by the window behind him. The twelve apostles stir in four groups of three: they lean in, point and press hands to their chests. The ceiling beams and wall panels all run toward his head, and so does the eye.

The colors are soft and somewhat faded: reds, blues and greens in the robes, with the white tablecloth as a band of light. The windows open onto a pale, hilly landscape. Watch the hands, which tell the scene as much as the faces, and the table set with bread, plates and glasses. At the bottom center, a door-shaped gap cuts into the painting.