The Washing of the Feet

On the south side Christ kneels before Peter, who tries to resist him. Their respective haloes are inscribed: IES[V]S and PETR[V]S. Trace of a basin of water remain between them. Behind Peter Andrew and Paul (ANDR[EAS], PAVL[V]S) are conversing with each other. On the opposite side the Apostles James (IACOB[VS]), John (IOAN[NES]), Philip (FILIPI[S]) and Thomas (TOMAS) seem to be commenting on the scene. On the west side two Apostles are holding the cloths to dry the feet washed by Christ. The much-damaged standing figure in the middle would have originally pointed with his raised index finger at the event taking place. The three apostles on this side are the only ones not identified by inscriptions: they assumably represent James the Younger, Judas and Simon. Individual letters between the figures spell out the word MANDATVM: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (Jn 13:34).
The east side shows Bartholomew (BARTOLO[MEVS]) and Matthew (M H A TEVS). They each support a closed book on their lap and holds up another open book. As symbols of the Old and New Law, these books are linked to the opposite “mandatum” scene: In the monastic context, this was a specific reference to the rite of “mandatum”, which was performed each Maundy Thursday; it was during this rite that the Abbot washed the feet of twelve poor men in memory of Christ’s gesture before the Last Supper (Jn 13:2-7). The frieze of the marble impost block takes over the motif used on the high altar of Saint-Sernin in Toulouse. On each side two angels, with backward-turned heads, hold either the hand of God overlying a cross or a head framed by angel wings.

apostel washing Christ mandatum Toulouse Saint-Sernin book angel insciption TEVS A BARTOLO[MEVS] MANDATVM M TOMAS FILIPI[S] IOAN[NES] feet ANDR[EAS] PET[RV]S IE[S]VS H