4. The Last Supper

The fourth film in a series about Christianity’s central figure: Jesus Christ.

It focuses on the Last Supper, discussing two works. The first is a sculpture by an unknown artist from the region of Lake Constance showing St John the Apostle Leaning on Christ’s Breast (c.1310) in the Bode-Museum, and the second is a painting by an artist known as the Master of the House Book showing The Last Supper (c.1480) in the Gemäldegalerie.

Presented by VCS Director Professor Ben Quash and Deputy Director Dr Jennifer Sliwka.

Artworks: Region of Lake Constance, St John the Apostle Leaning on Christ’s Breast, oak, old polychromy, inv. no. 7950;  Master of the House Book, A wing of the Speyer Altarpiece: The Last Supper, c.1480, Coniferous wood, 131 x 75.6 cm each, Kat. Nr. 2072, 2073.

Part of the Series Unlocking Christian Art. Produced in partnership with the National Museums in Berlin, these short films tell the story of Jesus with the help of the treasures of the Bode-Museum and the Gemäldegalerie, both sculpture and painting. These films are designed to equip users to understand, read, and enjoy some of Europe’s greatest works of Christian art, as well as the texts that inspired them, and to encourage fresh interpretation and insight in today’s audiences.