Georgiy Popov. The Last Supper Composition in the altar paintings 
of the Refectory Church

Dear Friends!

We continue to acquaint you with the mural painting of Sts. Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk Church (Refectory Church).

Georgiy Popov painted the Last Supper Composition at the altar of the Refectory Church. The iconography of the composition is quite traditional for church art. The author combined the historical circumstances of the farewell meal with the liturgical essence of the Eucharist. The painter depicts bread and a communion cup of wine on a long rectangular white tablecloth. At the left, there are items left on the floor after washing the apostles’ feet: a jug, a towel, and a copper basin.

The author reflects the reaction of the apostles to the words spoken by Christ in diametrically opposed impulses. A group of disciples on the left involuntarily leaned forward, a group of apostles, painted on the right side, shrank back, amazed by what they heard. Christ is depicted as alienated from the events that take place around him: at this moment he seems to foresee the future.

The artist does not aim to separate Judas from other disciples by movement or look. Judas was detached from the excitement of his comrades by his own thoughts. The wave of emotional impulse did not affect the soul of the apostle, who had already made a choice and condemned himself as a traitor. After the Lord's prophetic words that had just been uttered, Judas froze: his fingers, convulsively pulling the tablecloth, touched it and stopped dead; the palm of the hand seemed hardened, gripping to the wallet; his dead eyes stared inward himself and saw nothing there, blind. The artist was particularly good at painting the expression of Judah's big eyes. Almost imperceptibly, he slanted his right pupil, so that the look, which has lost focus, cannot leave the eye sockets. These are the eyes of the character that form the expressive psychological image of Judas - “an unfathomable figure”.

The text is prepared by Olena Pitateleva, senior research worker
Research Division for the Study of Artistic Heritage

Captions to illustrations:
1. Georgiy Popov. The Last Supper. Altar paintings in Sts. Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk Church. The early 20th century.
2. Georgiy Popov. The Last Supper. Altar paintings in Sts. Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk Church. Fragment. The early 20th century.