Washing of the Feet

At the Last Supper, Christ rose and washed his disciples' feet, a humbling act that startled Peter, who protested that his master should not stoop to serve him (John 13:1-17). Duccio catches the exact moment: Christ kneels with the basin while Peter, flustered, raises a hand to his own head, the other apostles crowding a bench in the green-walled upper room, some already loosening their sandals. From the back of the Siena Maesta, the scene turns a point of doctrine - the reversal of master and servant - into a vivid human exchange.