Jacob-Stephen (?): the Last Supper

Marx Reichlich painted this Last Supper around 1506 as part of a larger altarpiece cycle in the Tyrol. Reichlich was the leading painter of the Tyrolean school, working in Brixen (Bressanone) and producing altarpieces for churches across the region. His style combines Austrian and South Tyrolean traditions with awareness of Italian developments. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique. Such devotional panels served both liturgical contexts in churches and chapels and private devotional use in the homes of wealthy families who maintained personal altars and oratories.

Oil on panel with Reichlich's characteristic Alpine coloring and detailed interior setting. The apostles are arranged around the table with individual characterization reflecting the varied emotional responses to Christ's announcement.