Last Supper

Art Historical Context

This evocative *Last Supper*, a hand-colored woodcut from 1490 by an anonymous German artist of the 15th century, captures pivotal biblical moment of Christ sharing his final meal with the Apostles. Housed in the National Gallery of Art'swald Collection, it exemplifies the burgeoning art of printmaking in late medieval Germany, where woodcuts allowed religious scenes to reach a wider audience beyond elite patrons. Woodcuts, carved in relief on wooden blocks and printed on paper, were revolutionary for their affordability and reproducibility—key to spreading devotional imagery during the North...

About the Artist

German 15th Century

**German 15th Century** The designation "German 15th Century" encompasses a collective of anonymous artists active in the late medieval and early Renaissance periods in Germany, primarily known through their contributions to early printmaking and panel painting. These creators emerged during a transformative era when woodcuts and engravings began democratizing religious imagery, bridging the Goth...