# Da Vinci's Last Supper
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 22, 2000, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164 "2000-05-22T04:37:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@beakerxf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beakerxf)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2000, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164/1 "2000-05-22T04:37:58Z")
My firneds and I are discussing the final ep of X-Files and there was a scene that was set up to resemble the Last Supper. So now we’re wondering in what order do the disciples appear on Da Vinci’s Last Supper? I have tried an internet search and dind’t come up with anything.
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### Author:  [@Quadzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quadzilla)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2000, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164/2 "2000-05-22T05:28:01Z")
I took art history last semester, and this 600-page book finally came in handy for something. From _Art Across Time (Volume II)_ by Laurie Adams, copyright 1999:
> [@](#):
>
> Each apostle reacts according to his biblical personality. Saint Peter, whose head is fifth from the left, angrily grasps the knife with which he will later cut off the ear of Malchus. John, the youngest apostle and future evangelist, slumps toward Saint Peter in a faint."
So if anyone’s a really good personality judge from stuff given in the Bible, we could give this a good shot.
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### Author:  [@Quadzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quadzilla)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2000, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164/3 "2000-05-22T05:30:02Z")
Shoot. My first post failed, unfortunately. So here’s the rest of that quote from above:
> [@](#):
>
> Thomas, the doubter, on Christ’s left, points upwards, his gesture accented by the dark wall behind his hand. Judas, to the left of Saint Peter, is the villain of the piece. He leans back, forming the most vivid diagonal away from Christ.
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2000, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164/4 "2000-05-22T05:31:27Z")
According to [GAIA picture gallery](http://www.gaiatravel.com/discuss/photos.html) the second from our right is Thaddeus. To our left of Jesus is John. I believe the one on the far right is Judas.
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2000, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164/5 "2000-05-22T05:38:24Z")
The [Lord’s Supper](http://www.uabc.org/LordsSupper.htm) shows they are (from our left to our right)[list]
Nathaniel
James the Lesser
Andrew
Simon Peter
Judas Iscariot
John
Jesus
Thomas
James
Philip
Matthew
Thaddeus (Leonardo is supposed to have used himself as a model)
Simon the Zealot
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2000, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164/6 "2000-05-22T07:04:43Z")
[hijack]Hey, you know what Jesus said at the Last Supper? “OK, Everyone who wants to be in the picture, on this side of the table!”[/hijack]
We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread, already in progress.
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### Author:  [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2000, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164/7 "2000-05-22T08:19:42Z")
Would you believe that I was reading that same art book this evening? It’s really one of the best art books I’ve seen. (It’s a textbook of my brother’s.)
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### Author:  [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2000, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164/8 "2000-05-23T01:07:27Z")
Of course, according to Monty Python, the “Penultimate Supper” had dozens of disciples, three Christs, and a kangaroo, which I believe is still nameless.
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### Author:  [@Quadzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quadzilla)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2000, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164/9 "2000-05-23T04:23:47Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Would you believe that I was reading that same art book this evening? It’s really one of the best art books I’ve seen.
Wow…that’s kinda odd - awesome, but odd 🙂 Very cool book - one of the only ones I kept for my future classroom.
…and as for Chronos and Smeghead…ROFL!! Let us quote the Book of Armaments…_ahem_ Where did you find the Penultimate Supper, in _Life of Brian_? (I didn’t pay too close of attention to that while I was watching it, so I missed a lot.)
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### Author:  [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2000, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164/10 "2000-05-23T04:40:15Z")
The Penultimate Supper was on a video of one of their live performances.
Would you believe it’s based on a real incident? The painter Veronese was commissioned to do a Last Supper mural. He added a contemporary German soldier and a few other things. When the authorities inquired as to why he included things not at the Last Supper, he basically claimed artistic license and suggested they rename the painting. It’s now known as “The Feast at the House of Levi.”
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### Author:  [@Quadzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quadzilla)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2000, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164/11 "2000-05-23T04:47:47Z")
> [@](#):
>
> The painter Veronese was commissioned to do a Last Supper mural. He added a contemporary German soldier and a few other things. When the authorities inquired as to why he included things not at the Last Supper, he basically claimed artistic license and suggested they rename the painting. It’s now known as “The Feast at the House of Levi.”
I heard that somewhere…it is a great anecdote. (Thanks for the info on the PU supper, too!)
Where’d you finally find the list, bibliophage?
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### Author:  [@Dave\_Marini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Marini)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2000, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164/12 "2000-05-23T10:54:56Z")
You can see Veronese’s version of [Christ’s last shindig](http://sunsite.auc.dk/cgfa//veronese/p-verones1.htm) here. Looks like a pretty wild event. Check out the unruly masses in the galleries!
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### Author:  [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2000, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164/13 "2000-05-23T16:18:35Z")
ROTFLOL! It looks like the ultimate “party crashing” scenario: invite twelve guests to a relatively intimate dinner party, and the entire bloody neighborhood shows up. Even the title made me laugh: “Hey everybody, there’s a feast at Levi’s house! Jesus is throwing it; He’s a nice guy, and I’m sure He won’t mind a couple of extra guests.”
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2000, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164/14 "2000-05-24T09:06:59Z")
The list is here
[http://www.uabc.org/LordsSupper.htm](http://www.uabc.org/LordsSupper.htm)
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### Author:  [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2000, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164/15 "2000-05-25T03:14:33Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*\*
> Where did you find the Penultimate Supper, in _Life of Brian_? (I didn’t pay too close of attention to that while I was watching it, so I missed a lot.)
> \*\*
Thanks for the source, zgystardst. I actually found it on one of those evil Napster-esque programs, so I didn’t know where it came from originally.
And, boy! That Levi threw quite the party!
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### Author:  [@Dystopos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dystopos)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2000, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/da-vincis-last-supper/20164/16 "2000-05-25T03:41:44Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*\*
> My firneds and I are discussing the final ep of X-Files and there was a scene that was set up to resemble the Last Supper. So now we’re wondering in what order do the disciples appear on Da Vinci’s Last Supper? I have tried an internet search and dind’t come up with anything.
> \*\*
What scene was that? Either I’m terribly unobservant or I had my nose in that Cosmo with Ashley Judd on the cover at the time…