Color Coding in The Last Supper

(an overview)
Joannes Richter

This analysis documents the color codes in the garments for several versions of The Last Supper
to investigate the thesis that in the Middle Age red & blue may have symbolized the Good and
yellow & green the Evil forces.

A great number of Last Supper-paintings have been created in the Middle Age. These artworks
represent the scene of The Last Supper from the final days of Jesus as narrated in the Gospel of
John 13:21, when Jesus announces that one of his Twelve Apostles would betray him.

These paintings may be categorized by the following criteria:

1. Judas is wearing a special color (yellow), which may be identified as the traitor's color.
2. Judas is wearing a special color (green or black), identifying him as the traitor.
3. Judas is positioned at a special place apart from the other disciples.
4. Judas may be identified by holding a purse.
5. Another disciple is wearing a special color combination, which may be identified as the
traitor's color, whereas Judas is wearing a semi-neutral colored garment.
6. Judas is not wearing a nimbus, which identifies him as a traitor.

In a table a few dozen paintings will be categorized. In order to demonstrate the categorization a
few examples of the methods will be documented. The document may be completed as soon as the
missing images have been found. Suggestions for additional categorization are welcomed...
1 Categorized paintings for The Last Supper
The following table lists 30 paintings titled “The last Supper”.
Some of the these scenes have been categorized quite easily. In other cases the categorization has
been rather difficult or the photograph is unavailable1.
Year Artist Title & link Remarks Category
1450 Fra Angelico Last Supper Tempera on wood, Museo di San no image
Marco, Florence, Armadio degli
Argenti paintings
1542 Jacopo The Last Supper Oil on canvas, Galleria Borghese, undefined
Bassano Rome. Judas probably wears a black
garment (?).
1464 Dieric Bouts Last Supper Tempera on wood. Sankt Peter, undefined
the Elder Louvain, Belgium. Judas probably
wears a black garment (?).
1648 Philippe de Le dernier repas Musée Du Louvre, Paris, France 1, 3, 4
Champaigne du Christ Judas wears a yellow robe over blue
garments and a purse, separated from
the other disciples
1320 Pietro The Last Supper Fresco, Lower Church, San Francesco, 1,6
Lorenzetti Assisi . Judas wears a yellow robe, but
he does not wear a nimbus.
1447 Andrea del Last Supper Fresco, 453 x 975 cm, Sant'Apollonia, 3,6
Castagno Florence. Judas is isolated from the
disciples and does not wear a nimbus.
1520 Andrea del The Last Supper Fresco, Convent of San Salvi, Florence undefined
Sarto
1320 Giotto di Last Supper Tempera on wood, 42,5 x 43 cm, Alte 1,6
Bondone Pinakothek, Munich. Judas is wearing a
yellow robe and painting without a
nimbus.
1304 Giotto di Last Supper Fresco, 200 x 185 cm, Cappella no image
Bondone Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), Padua
1510 Albrecht The Last Supper woodcut, one of 5 cuts to complete "the no image
Dürer Great Passion"
1568 El Greco The Last Supper Oil on panel, 43 x 52 cm, Pinacoteca 2,3
Nazionale, Bologna. Judas is wearing a
green robe, sitting apart from the other
disciples.
1514 Franciabigio The Last Supper fresco, Convento della Calza, Florence 1,3
Judas is wearing a yellow robe, sitting
apart from the other disciples.

1
unfortunately not all of the links in this table are activated links

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1524 Hans Holbein The Last Supper Limewood, 115,5 x 97,3 cm, 1,3
the Younger Kunstmuseum, Öffentliche
Kunstsammlung, Basle. Judas is
wearing a yellow robe, sitting apart
from the other disciples.
1508 Francisco The Last Supper Oil on canvas, 121 x 89 cm, Museu 1, 3, 4, 6
Henriques (Santa Ceia) Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon. Judas
is wearing a yellow robe and a purse,
sitting isolated. Another disciple is
wearing a green robe and is sitting
separated as well.
1560 Juan de The Last Supper Oil on panel, Museo del Prado, Madrid 1
Juanes enlongated table. Judas is wearing a
yellow robe over green garment.
1560 Juan de The Last Supper Panel, 116 x 191 cm, Museo del Prado, 1
Juanes Madrid. Shorter table. Judas is wearing
a yellow robe over green garment.
1498 Leonardo da The Last Supper fresco, Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan 2,4,5
Vinci Judas is wearing a blue & red robe,
holding a green robe and a purse,
whereas Andrew is wearing a yellow
robe.
1475 Master of the The Last Supper Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Judas is 1, 3, 4
Housebook wearing a yellow robe, holding a purse
and sitting apart.
1640 Nicholas The Last Supper oil on canvas, Belvoir Castle, undefined
Poussin Leicestershire, Trustees of Rutland
Trust
1548 Pieter Pourbus Last Supper oil on oak panel, 46,5 x 63 cm, 2, 3, 4
Groeninge Museum, Bruges. At a chair
fallen over Judas leaves the table
wearing a black robe and a purse.
1519 Jörg Ratgeb Last Supper Wood, Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart. At a 1, 3, 4
chair fallen over, Judas leaves wearing
a yellow robe and a purse.
1481 Cosimo The Last Supper Fresco, 349 x 570 cm, Cappella Sistina, 1, 2, 3, 6
Rosselli Vatican. Sitting isolated at a half-round
table Judas is wearing a yellow sharp
over a black robe. He does not wear a
nimbus.
1518 Raphael The Last Supper fresco, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican, The undefined
Raphael Loggia
1620 Peter Paul The Last Supper oil on panel, Seattle Art Museum (43.8 no image
Rubens x 44.1 cm).
1423 Sassetta The Last Supper Panel, 24 x 38 cm, Pinacoteca 1, 4, 5, 6

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 Nazionale, Siena. Judas is wearing a
red and blue robe and a purse. He is not
wearing a nimbus. Another disciple is
wearing a yellow robe.
1370 Jaume Serra The Last Supper Tempera on wood, Museo Nazionale, 1, 4, 6
Palermo . Judas is not wearing a
nimbus and he is sitting isolated. He
wears a green & purple garment and a
yellow robe.
1502 Luca Communion of the Wood, Museo Diocesano, Cortona. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Signorelli Apostles Judas is wearing a yellow and a green
robe (over light-blue garments) and a
purse, separated from the disciples.
Another disciple is wearing a brighter
yellow robe.
1593 Tintoretto The Last Supper oil on canvas, S. Giorgio Maggiore, undefined
Venice
1588 Alonso Last Supper Oil on canvas, Museo de Bellas Artes, 1, 3, 4
Vazquez Seville. Judas is wearing a yellow robe
(over black garments) and a purse,
separated from the disciples.
1592 Otto van Veen The Last Supper Oil on canvas, 350 x 2247 cm, O.-L. 1, 2, 3, (4 ?) ,
V.-kathedraal, Antwerp . 5
Judas is wearing a black robe and is
sitting isolated. Another disciple is
wearing a yellow robe. Judas may wear
a purse, which is hardly identifiable.
1615 Simon Vouet The Last Supper oil on canvas, Palazzo Apostolica, 1, 3, 4
Loreto. Quite dramatic with interesting
side themes. Judas is wearing a yellow
robe and a purse, separated from the
disciples.
1728 Unknown An Ukrainian Icon Original work in National Art Museum, no high
artist Kiev. Judas probably does not wear a resolution
nimbus. To identify Judas a high image
resolution is being needed. available

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2 Examples for Judas' garments

The Last Supper by Philippe de Champaigne (1648)

Fig. 1: The Last Supper by Philippe de Champaigne (1648)

Musée Du Louvre, Paris, France

• Judas wears a yellow robe over blue garments and

• a white purse,
• has been separated from the other disciples

Jesus (and other disciples) is wearing the religious symbols red & blue.

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Last Supper (Santa Ceia, 1518)

Fig. 2: The Last Supper (Francisco Henriques)

The Last Supper

author: Francisco Henriques

(Santa Ceia, 1518), Oil on canvas, 121 x 89 cm,
Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon.

• Judas (seated far left) is wearing a yellow robe and

• a brown purse,
• sitting isolated.
• Another disciple is wearing a green robe and is sitting separated as well.

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Last Supper by SERRA, Jaume (1370-1400)

Fig. 3: The Last Supper by SERRA, Jaume (1370-1400)

The Last Supper

SERRA, Jaume
Tempera on wood, Museo Nazionale, Palermo .

• Judas is not wearing a nimbus and

• he is sitting isolated.
• He wears a purple garment and a green
• and yellow robe.

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The Last Supper by SIGNORELLI, Luca (1512)

Fig. 4: The Last Supper by SIGNORELLI, Luca (1512)

The last Supper

SIGNORELLI, Luca (b. ca. 1450, Cortona, d. 1523, Cortona)
1512
Panel, 232 x 220 cm
Museo Diocesano, Cortona

• Judas is wearing a yellow robe

• and a green robe (over light-blue garments) and
• a black purse,
• separated from the disciples.
• Another disciple is wearing a brighter yellow robe.

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The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci)

Fig. 5: The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

The Last Supper (Italian: Il Cenacolo or L'Ultima Cena) is a 15th century mural painting in Milan
created by Leonardo da Vinci for his patron Duke Ludovico Sforza and his duchess Beatrice d'Este.

Unfortunately the painting and especially its colors have been deteriorated in the past eras. As a first
impression we may observe a person at the third location from the left, wearing a clearly visible
yellow garment, who seems to be in rage for being uncovered as a betrayer. This person, St.
Andrew, however is not the traitor. We will have to search for Judas...

Of course we should not expect Judas to be painted in bright yellow colors (as done by Giotto in the
Kiss of Judas). There is a secret to be painted, which may be revealed as a slight detail to the public.

In order to enable a better identification of the colors the analysis is not performed at the original
painting, but at a copy by an unknown artist. The image is a public domain painting from the
Wikipedia database.

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 Fig. 6: The Last Supper (copy after Leonardo da Vinci

created by an unknown artist, exhibited at the Da Vinci-Museum - Tongerlo

At the painting we clearly see Jesus (with red garment and a blue outer robe) in traditionally colored
clothing applying the religious symbols red & blue. His beloved partner John is dressed in red &
blue as well (with blue garment and a red outer robe). The color code (red versus blue) has been
reversed.

The red garments for Jesus and blue sleeve for Johannes are touching each other at the sleeves. At
the other side of the main persons the blue colors for Jesus and Johannes seem top be mirrored.
Other color areas are being mirrored as well with respect to the axis at the touching zone at the
sleeves of St. John & Jesus. The mirroring sequence of the colors from the central axis to the left
and the right seems to be:

Red - Blue - Green - Red/blue - Blue – Yellowish beige or brown - Red – White

Except maybe for St. Andrew there are no bright yellow colors. Instead a beige color may be
identified. Judas is wearing red and blue just like Jesus Christ and St. John, but Judas wears a green
robe over his left arm.

The individual persons have been identified as follows:

The first trio – from the left to the right is:

• Bartholomew – blue garment (far left). He is excited and in rage.

• Jacob, the younger – red garment with green sleeves (second from the left). Jacob seems to
be under control, but he is frightened and frozen.
• Andrew - yellow-beige garment with green robe (third from the left). Andrew seems to
upset and to defend himself, expressing: “don't consider me as the traitor”.

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The second trio – from the left to the right is:

• Simon Peter – blue robe with red sleeves and a beige-yellowish robe (?). Peter is eager to
know who may have been the betrayer.
• Judas Iscariot, red & blue, with a green robe over his arm – sitting in the shadow – to be
recognized by his purse.
• John - red & blue. John is reassured nobody will suspect him to betray Jesus. He is just
quite and sad for what is going to happen.

The third trio – from the left to the right is:

• Thomas – blue garment (which is hard to identify). Thomas points to the sky and warns:
“Let the traitor go to hell!“
• Jacob, the elder- in a green-yellowish robe(?). He opens his arms in order to protect Jesus.
• Philip - blue garments under a red robe. He just raised and seems to be hurt. He cannot
believe the fulfillment of the prophecy.

The fourth trio – from the left to the right is:

• Matthew - in dark green garments (?). Matthew asks Simon: „Did Jesus really say he is
going to be betrayed?“
• Thaddeus – red sleeves at a beige-yellowish brown robe. Thaddeus does not believe what he
just heard and asks Simon: “What's happening?”.
• Simon – white garment under a red robe (far right). Simon is trying to understand what is
going on.

3 Conclusion
A great number of Last Supper-paintings have been created in the Middle Age. These artworks
represent the scene of The Last Supper from the final days of Jesus as narrated in the Gospel of
John 13:21, when Jesus announces that one of his Twelve Apostles would betray him.
The majority of these paintings are applying similar codes for coloring the garments. Usually Judas
will wear yellow, green or black (or combinations of these medieval “evil” colors). Sometimes the
artist will dress Judas in “good” colors (blue and red) and applies “evil” colors for other disciples, in
order to trigger the attention of the observers.
Other symbols for identifying Judas are the nimbus, the purse and a separated seat or a hurried
leaving scene.
From these examples we may probably consider yellow, green and black as so-called “evil” colors
for the medieval Christian communities, which contrast to the “good” colors red, blue, purple and
white.

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