The ''Communion of the Apostles'', or ''Institution of the Eucharist'' is a painting of the

Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...

Federico Barocci Federico Barocci (also written ''Barozzi'')(c. 1535 in Urbino – 1612 in Urbino) was an Italian Renaissance painter and printmaker. His original name was Federico Fiori, and he was nicknamed Il Baroccio. His work was highly esteemed and inf ...

located at Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome. It was commissioned for the family chapel of

Pope Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII ( la, Clemens VIII; it, Clemente VIII; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born ...

Aldobrandini and completed between 1603 and 1608. It was most likely the sight of Barocci's ''Presentation of the Virgin'' in the Chiesa Nuova at its unveiling in 1603 that led to the commission of the ''Communion'' four months later. On 13 August 1603 the pope communicated with the minister to

Francesco Maria II della Rovere Francesco Maria II della Rovere (20 February 1549 – 23 April 1631) was the last Duke of Urbino. Biography Born at Pesaro, Francesco Maria was the son of Guidobaldo II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, Count of Montefeltro and Vittoria Farnese ...

, duke of Urbino, Giacomo Sorbolongo, about acquiring an altarpiece from Barocci. At this time the Cavaliere d'Arpino was the pope's most important artist; the letter goes on to ask that d'Arpino not be told of the commission. Federico Barocci study for Institution of the Eucharist

Federico Barocci study for Institution of the Eucharist

The commission was completed entirely in

Urbino Urbino ( ; ; Romagnol: ''Urbìn'') is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of F ...

and efforts were made to supply Barocci with extensive information about the contextual chapel, which was frescoed by

Cherubino Alberti Cherubino Alberti (1553–1615), also called Borghegiano, was an Italian engraver and painter. He is most often remembered for the Roman frescoes completed with his brother Giovanni Alberti during the papacy of Clement VIII. He was most prolif ...

with a ''Triumph of the Holy Cross''. Gian Pietro Bellori wrote that the pope was supplied with preparatory sketches. The pope sought the removal of Satan from the original design, and thereafter asked that it depict a night scene. Barocci quotes from

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual a ...

's ''

School of Athens A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...

'' by inserting the portrait of

Heraclitus Heraclitus of Ephesus (; grc-gre, Ἡράκλειτος , "Glory of Hera"; ) was an ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher from the city of Ephesus, which was then part of the Persian Empire. Little is known of Heraclitus's life. He wrot ...

, which many believe is a portrait of Michelangelo. Significantly, he depicts

Judas Iscariot Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betraye ...

using Michelangelo's portrait. To an audience familiar with this association, this would have been taken as particularly strong commentary on the status of the Michelangelo. Furthermore, by directly quoting from Raphael, who was Michelangelo's antithesis and favoured by the Clementine church, Barocci, and by implication Pope Clement VIII, inserted a comment on the relative status of the two artists within the church of the time. Barocci asked 1,500 scudi for the altarpiece. The fee undoubtedly was influenced by the number of figures. At the same point in his career (1604), he had accepted 300 scudi for a much simpler ''Crucifixion'' (Museo del Prado, Madrid).

Notes

References

{{Last Supper in art 1608 paintings Paintings by Federico Barocci Sacraments

Barocci Federico Barocci (also written ''Barozzi'')(c. 1535 in Urbino – 1612 in Urbino) was an Italian Renaissance painter and printmaker. His original name was Federico Fiori, and he was nicknamed Il Baroccio. His work was highly esteemed and i ...

Angels in art Altarpieces