Last Supper icon (or the Mystical Supper icon) is on the iconostasis in most Orthodox churches. In front of this
icon, is where the faithful come to receive the Eucharist at the Divine Liturgy. The icon depicts the last meal of Christ with his disciples
in the 'Upper Room' before his arrest. Christ is the central figure at the table. The chalice containing the Precious Blood of Christ is on the
table or sometimes being held. The Evangelist, Saint John the Beloved, is seated next to Christ, as the youngest of the disciples, he is
depicted as beardless. He receives in his left hand a piece of the Body of Christ; another morsel is on the table before Christ. Judas Iscariot
the Betrayer is depicted dipping into the dish.
For centuries The Last Supper theme attracted Christian artists. For the painting one of the two its major dramatic moments were chosen from – the
receiving of the Eucharist at the Divine Liturgy or His prophecy about his betrayal by one of the apostles. Thus, on the early Christian mosaics of
the 6th century the accent was put on the Eucharist, Judas wasn’t emphasized, apostles quietly, according to Roman custom, recline at the semicircular
table.
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