Predella of the High Altarpiece of the Dominican Church in Frankfurt, 1501

About the Work

Along with the Crucifixion scene in the now-lost pinnacle that once crowned the altarpiece, the predella (the pedestal on which the main shrine stands) was always on view, regardless of whether it was an ordinary weekday, a Sunday, or a holiday. The images on the predella illustrate the events of the first half of Holy Week, the beginning of Christ’s Passion. The artist has highlighted the scene of the Last Supper by making it larger than the others and prominently placing it in the centre of the composition. Together with the Crucifixion in the pinnacle, the Last Supper formed a striking vertical axis of symbolic imagery that referenced the liturgical re-enactment of the Last Supper and Jesus’ death on the cross in the celebration of the Mass at the high altar in the Dominican Church.