Is there a woman in the Last Supper?

The Short Answer

No, there are no women depicted in Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting of the Last Supper, which shows Jesus and his twelve apostles at the Last Supper before his crucifixion. The painting depicts a scene from the Gospel accounts where Jesus gathers his 12 male apostles for a final meal before his death. Women were not present at this historical event, so Leonardo faithfully captured the all-male gathering in his renowned work of art.

Examining the Painting and Its History

The Last Supper is a massive mural painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. Measuring 15 by 29 feet, the work covers the back wall of the dining hall at the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. Leonardo worked on the painting from 1495-1498, applying an experimental technique using tempera paints on a dry plaster wall. This method proved unsuccessful, as the painting began deteriorating and flaking shortly after its completion. Nonetheless, The Last Supper still stands as one of the most famous and iconic works of religious art.

The painting depicts the dramatic scene described in the Gospels when Jesus announces that one of his twelve apostles will betray him. In Leonardo’s interpretation, the twelve men react with shock, anger and dismay at this news. From left to right, the apostles depicted are Bartholomew, James (son of Alphaeus), Andrew, Judas, Peter, John, Thomas, James the Greater, Philip, Matthew, Thaddeus, and Simon. Jesus sits calmly in the center of the composition, and there are no women present at the table.

Some key details about the painting:

• Jesus sits front and center, with six apostles on either side of him.
• There are no known written descriptions of the event that specify exactly how many people were present or who they were.
• Leonardo took artistic license by depicting the twelve apostles as representing a variety of temperaments and reactions.
• Only Judas (fourth figure from the left) has his face in shadow, reflecting his betrayal.
• Bartholomew (far left) kneels on the table to get a better look at Jesus and Judas.
• Hand gestures and interactions between the men help convey the drama and tension.

Nowhere in the painting is a woman present at the table. Leonardo faithfully depicted only Jesus and his twelve male followers, consistent with the Gospel accounts. While some conspiracy theories have suggested that one apostle might secretly be Mary Magdalene disguised as a man, there is no evidence to support this claim. The figure in question is the apostle John, who does appear somewhat youthful but is clearly intended to be male.

The Reasons for the All-Male Gathering

There are a few reasons why no women are included in artistic depictions of the Last Supper:

1. The Gospels record that only Jesus and his twelve apostles were present at the actual event.
2. In keeping with cultural practices of the time, women would not have been included in a religious gathering of only men.
3. As devout Jews, neither Jesus nor his followers would have violated these social norms that prohibited women from participating.
4. Leonardo and other artists sought to accurately recreate the scene as described in the Bible.

At the time of the Last Supper, women occupied a separate social sphere from men. In keeping with the patriarchal mores of first century Judean culture, women would not have been present or allowed to participate in this important religious ritual. As faithful Jews, Jesus and his apostles would have observed these strict social customs that prohibited mixed-gender gatherings over shared meals.

Religious artwork tends to adhere strictly to the biblical accounts, which clearly indicate that only Jesus and his twelve male apostles took part in this poignant final meal. While speculation that Mary Magdalene was there persists in popular culture, this theory has no historical or biblical basis. As such, the great artists who tackled this subject, from Leonardo to Salvador Dali, depicted only Jesus surrounded by his devoted male followers, with no women in attendance.

Women’s Roles and Representation in the Bible

Despite the absence of women at the Last Supper, women play a significant role throughout the New Testament and other books of the Bible:

• Mary, mother of Jesus, was selected by God to bear the Savior of humanity.
• Mary Magdalene was the first person to see Jesus after his resurrection.
• The Gospels describe many women who were followers, supporters, and disciples of Jesus.
• Women like Ruth, Esther, Sarah and Rachel are prominent figures in the Old Testament.
• The Book of Proverbs personifies wisdom as a woman.
• The church was important in providing spiritual equality, leadership roles and community for women in ancient societies where they had few rights.

So while Leonardo’s Last Supper contains no female figures, women play a vital part in the scriptural foundations of Christianity. They appear frequently throughout both the New and Old Testaments as heroes, prophets and saints. With faith and courage, women were devoted disciples and instrumental in spreading Jesus’s message of love and salvation. Their exclusion from the Last Supper reflects merely the gender constraints of its time, not the value placed on women by Christ.

Attempts to Depict Female Figures

Despite the unequivocal fact that no women were present at the biblical Last Supper, some modern artists have sought to picture this poignant scene in a more gender-inclusive way:

• A 1994 art exhibition called “The Last Supper According to Leonardo with a Feminist Perspective” in Santa Monica, CA, superimposed colorful images of women’s faces over the male apostles.
• British artist Yolanda Sonnabend released a recreation of Leonardo’s work in 1998 with women in half the seats and more racial diversity.
• Argentine painter Rodolfo Aguirre depicted a female Jesus with multiracial female apostles in his 1999 Last Supper.
• Susan Dorothea White’s “The First Supper” shows 12 diverse women seated at the table instead of men.

These recent re-imaginings demonstrate a contemporary interest in balancing gender representation and challenging traditional assumptions. While such altered versions stray from historical accuracy, they do reflect important modern values of inclusion and diversity. Some may view these as political statements, while others see them as compliments to the original by bringing a progressive 21st century perspective.

Conclusion

Leonardo da Vinci’s enduring masterpiece faithfully captures a pivotal moment in Christian scripture – Jesus’s final meal with his twelve apostles before his crucifixion and death. In keeping with the biblical accounts and the patriarchal cultural norms of their time, the painting contains no female figures – only Jesus and his male followers are present. Recognizing that women like Mary Magdalene played a huge role in Jesus’s ministry changes neither the actual event nor subsequent artistic depictions of it. However, modern re-imaginings of the Last Supper with female participants do provide an interesting counterpoint by encouraging viewers today to reflect on issues of inclusion and gender representation in religious art and history. While the original will undoubtedly remain a revered classic, such re-interpretations offer a contemporary perspective on this iconic subject.