Getty Museum
Christ Washing the Apostles' Feet
Creator
Simon BeningFlemish Illuminator · 1483–1561
All works by this person →One of the most celebrated painters of Flanders in the 1500s, Simon Bening was hailed by Portuguese art critic Francisco da Hollanda as the greatest master of illumination in all of Europe. In addition to producing books for powerful aristocrats such as Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg, Bening worked for a group of international royal patrons including Emperor Charles V and Don Fernando, the Infan
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- about 1525–1530
- Medium
- Tempera colors, gold paint, and gold leaf
- Culture
- Flemish
- Department
- Manuscripts
- Institution
- Getty Museum
Having wrapped a towel around himself, Christ washes the feet of his apostles at the Last Supper. Simon Bening focused his image on Saint Peter's shocked reaction to the idea of Christ washing his feet. Peter throws his hands up into the air in an ostentatious gesture of disbelief that seems to be answered by Christ's own intent movements. The other disciples register their discomfort in varying responses. Seated along the length of the walls of the room, they alternately lean forward and back, creating a sense of visual unrest in the miniature. To make the viewer feel that the event had been captured at a very specific moment in time, Bening represented the water as if it was about to spill over the lip of the basin held by the boy.
The authoritative record is held by Getty Museum. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.
Get printable QR codesHide QR codes
Open QR codes for this object page and the museum record. They stay collapsed until needed.
Related across collections
Semantically similar works from Getty Museum and other institutions.