Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his time had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came from God, and was going to God, arose from supper, and laid aside his outer garments. He took a towel and wrapped a towel around his waist. Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “You don’t know what I am doing now, but you will understand later.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.” For he knew him who would betray him, therefore he said, “You are not all clean.”
Ford Madox Brown broke convention to paint this Biblical scene of the Last Supper from the intimate point of view of someone kneeling and waiting their turn to have their feet washed. The focus on Jesus’ labour reflected the socialist politics that interested the Pre-Raphaelite circle. Brown’s model for Jesus was fellow Pre-Raphaelite Frederick Stephens. He originally posed naked to the waist to stress the physical work of the act of washing. The disciples were based on other members of the Pre-Raphaelite circle: Rossetti has his head in his hands. Brown was unable to sell the picture until he painted clothes on Jesus.
