Maestro di Resina (Unidentified artist, active in Naples between 1610-1620), Christ washes the feet of the Apostles, 1610-1619, Oil on canvas, 218x 194 cm, Palazzo Spinola, Genoa
The composition is based on John 13:1-17 and depicts the moment during the Last Supper when Christ washes his disciples’ feet. This act, performed just before the crucifixion, symbolises humility and servitude, offering a profound lesson on leadership in Christian thought. By instructing his followers to emulate this behaviour, Christ redefines leadership as service to others. The subject matter became particularly resonant during the Counter-Reformation, aligning with the movement’s emphasis on humility and service as key Christian virtues.
The authorship of this work has been the subject of considerable scholarly debate. It has been tentatively attributed to the Master of Resina, based on stylistic comparisons with a small corpus of works, including an altarpiece from the parish of Ercolano (formerly Resina) and a Flight into Egypt in the church of Santa Maria della Consolazione in the same town in Campania. These stylistic connections have led to the conventional, though not definitive, attribution to an unidentified artist known by the moniker ‘Master of Resina’, whose real name has yet to be discovered.
Over time, various followers of Caravaggio have been proposed as the creator of the work, including Cesare Fracanzano (1605–1651), Dirck van Baburen (1595–1624), followers of Georges de La Tour (1593–1652), and François Colombe du Lys (c. 1595- 1661). However, none of these candidates can be linked to the painting.
Many art scholars have suggested that the artist may have been of French or Dutch origin, working in Naples and heavily influenced by the Caravaggesque style. The work also may have been inspired by a now-lost Caravaggio composition, recorded in 1611 in the former Viceroy of Naples collection.
