St. Peter’s Church in Leuven, Belgium

When Dieric Bouts painted the Altarpiece of the Holy Sacrament for St. Peter’s Church in Leuven, Belgium, he connected several layers of history surrounding the Eucharist. Today’s viewers, however, will discover even more historical connections than Bouts intended.

Surrounding a central panel that depicts the moment when Christ institutes the Eucharist are two wings, each with two pictures. Each picture shows a historical moment that prefigured the Lord’s Supper: 

       The Priest Melchizedek Offering Abraham Bread and Wine

   Israelites Celebrating the Passover Feast With a Sacrificial Lamb

Israelites Gathering Manna - The Bread From Heaven - In the Desert

        
              An Angel Giving Elijah Bread For His Journey

It may seem strange that each figure in these side panels wears 15th Century Flemish costumes, that the landscapes are Flemish landscapes, and that the architecture is also Flemish. Why would he mix his own day into these Biblical events? Study the central panel for clues.

Similar mixes occur in the central panel. The Supper is taking place in a Flemish hall; the servants are two members of the Leuven Confraternity of the Holy Sacrament that commissioned the altarpiece; and through the windows we see Leuven’s Grote Market.

Not only that, but you, today’s viewer, are also invited to join the scene. Look at the architectural lines in the scene. The table edges, the beams on the ceiling - they all bring you to a point just above Christ’s head.

It’s as if you have just walked into the room and, gazing down onto the table, have caught Christ’s eye. Not only that, but ample space for you has been left between the two men dressed in red. The man on the left seems to be noticing your absence.

Before we try to figure out why Bouts takes such historical license, notice a few other juxtaposed historical details. A large platter with brownish gravy setting in the middle of the table shows us that a Passover lamb has just been eaten. But it is a Flemish Passover meal: around the table is an extra swath of material for the diners to wipe their mouths on, as was the Flemish custom.

When painting the disciples, Bouts follows tradition. John, portrayed as a young man who is clean shaven with long hair and dressed in a white robe, is seated on Jesus’ left. Next to John is James the Less. He has features similar to Christ’s, since St. Paul calls him “James the Lord’s brother.” Peter, on Jesus’ right, has the usual short grey hair and beard, with a fisherman’s ruddy cheeks.
Next to Peter is Andrew, an aged man with long hair and a forked beard.

Is this mad mix of Flemish and biblical history intentional? The answer lies in the exact center of the picture, where Christ’s raised right hand is consecrating a host. A what? A host? Christ is being presented as a priest performing the consecration.

The painting is not about a historical moment in Jerusalem. It’s about the Eucharistic celebration, and the still moment in the painting captures a history that extends to the end of time. Therefore the mix of eras: the moment is timeless.

And the historical connections that Bouts didn’t know about? In the 19th Century, museums in Berlin and Munich bought the side panels. However, Germany had to return them as part of the war reparations following World War I. During WWII, Nazis took the entire altarpiece to Germany, but again it had to be returned. They now hang in St. Peter’s Church again, but with all that travel, we can only guess that the side panels hang in their original positions!