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Works of art have occupied an important place in the life of the Church for many centuries. Religious painting and sculpture have surrounded the faithful with constant reminders of the mighty acts of God, our Lord’s life, and the Communion of Saints. Contemporary expressions of art forms illustrate the meaning of the Faith as applied to current situations. Creative works in our church buildings stimulate the soul of man, and give rise to an atmosphere of reverence and adoration.
The memorial reredos at The Church of the Incarnation was made complete in 1912 by the addition of the wood carving, “The Last Supper”. The exact reproduction of Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous painting is one of the most outstanding of art in Great Falls. Executed in solid mahogany, it shows in every detail the touch of a master’s hand. For this artistic touch the church is indebted to Mr. Alois Lang, a Bavarian craftsman who studied under Ludwig Lang, an acknowledged master in the art of carving. Work of this kind had been Alois Lang’s only study and occupation. At the time the carving was done, he was employed by the American Seating Company of Chicago.
The reredos, of which the carving is a part, was placed in the church by Mrs. R. P. R. Gordon in memory of her husband, who was one of the most noted physicians and surgeons in Montana. Alois Lang was born in 1872 at Oberammergau, a village in southern Germany, southwest of Munich. The village is known throughout the world for its wood carvings and for the great passion play performed once every ten years. Mr. Lang died in the spring of 1954 at Ann Arbor, Michigan.
“The Last Supper” is signed and dated, “A. Lang 1912”. The work measures eighteen inches high, eighty-four inches wide, and twenty-four inches deep. This is a sculptured reproduction of Da Vinci’s immortal masterpiece painted on the wall of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazier in Milan, Italy.
This hand carved work shows our Lord and the twelve disciples in the upper room at the occasion of the Last Supper. The spontaneous action of the twelve is prompted by the drama of the moment. Our Lord has just predicted that one of them would betray Him. The faces of the disciples mirror their reaction to His statement.
The first character seated at the table, from left to right, is Bartholomew, otherwise known as Nathaniel. He is on his feet, gripping the table, unwilling to accept the accusation. Next, there is James (the lesser), so called because of his short stature, who was a relative of our Lord. The third figure is that of Andrew, the fisherman, and then Judas. A grasping nature is reflected in both his face and his hands. His elbow rests on the table; his right hand clutches the telltale money bag. Behind Judas stands Simon Peter, the great rock of the early Christian Church. In his right hand he holds a knife; perhaps he was about to prepare the fish for the meal. He points to our Lord, and whispers to John, the beloved disciple, a young man of about eighteen years at the time. “Ask him which one it is.” In the seat at the “head” of the table is the central, majestic figure of Jesus. To the right stands Thomas, the doubter, James (the greater), then Philip, a young man older than John, mild-mannered and demure. Next is Matthew, the “accuser”, pointing a finger at Judas, as to say, “There is the one”. To the right of Matthew is Thaddeus, or Jude, who wrote the shortest book in the Bible. Seated at the end of the table is Simon, the oldest man present. He was about seventy years of age at the time.
Alois Lang has not only captured the humility manifested in Da Vinci’s canvas, but added his own interpretation to our Lord’s majesty. The face of Jesus may appear almost expressionless to many, but there is no mistaking the divinity of character shining with sublime power.