Christ is shown at the Last Supper holding up the Eucharistic bread. Probably painted in Ferrara in the 1490s as the door of a tabernacle for the bread and wine of the Mass.
When closed, the door may have formed the central panel of a predella of a lost altarpiece, with 'The Israelites gathering Manna' (also in the Collection) on one side. The reliefs on the arch above Christ seem to depict a scene of ancient sacrifice.
Key facts
Artist
Artist dates
active 1479; died 1496
Full title
The Institution of the Eucharist
Date made
probably 1490s
Medium and support
Egg on wood
Dimensions
29.8 x 21 cm
Acquisition credit
Bought, 1882
Inventory number
NG1127
Location in Gallery
Other paintings in the group: Two Panels from a Predella
Painting
Ercole de' Roberti
probably 1490s
