Italian school; XVII century. Lot n° 8

Italian school; 17th century. "Christ washing the feet of the apostles". Oil on canvas. Measurements: 32 x 39,5 cm; 46,5 x 52 cm (frame). It is represented here a scene narrated by the Gospel of John, widely treated in the baroque painting. Christ kneeling before Peter, prepares to wash his feet. The rest of the apostles surround the two figures and exchange impressions, looking stunned by the idea of being washed by their Lord. The figure of Jesus, distinguished from the others by his attitude and the light that seems to emerge from within him, determines the arrangement of the rest of the figures. The architectural space, with bare walls, has a greater presence on the right-hand side of the scene, being configured along a diagonal that allows for greater amplitude in the rest of the scene. The interior is spartan and dark, so that the figures are constructed by the chiselling of light. Stylistically, the work belongs to the Italian school of the Baroque, in which a classicist conception of drawing and pure, emphatic forms stand out. The Gospel of John tells us that during the Last Supper, Jesus rose from the table, took off his cloak and tied a towel around his waist. After pouring water into a basin, he began to wash his disciples' feet. Simon Peter pretended to refuse, but when Jesus insisted that otherwise he could have no part with him, he agreed to have his feet washed. The washing of feet was a common ritual in Eastern culture, in fact, in the Old Testament we find examples of this practice, for example in the visit of the angels to Abraham. Such an action is associated with hospitality, but Jesus' gesture towards his apostles adds a new significant dimension that alludes to humility.