Reformation and Counter-Reformation and examples

Within the Church, decisive action had to be undertaken to meet the challenge of the Reformation and other difficulties that had arisen. The rise of Protestant power in northern Europe set off a defensive and totalitarian response in Catholic Italy. The Counter-Reformation put Italian culture on a war footing with the Catholic Church claiming, in effect, total control of Italians' minds and bodies. The Council of Trent, which met intermittently from 1545 to 1563, was called by …

…a reenactment of the actual last supper, Luther insisted that the Communion was commemorative. Durer depicts this distinction by emphasizing community and sorrow. Christ has announced his betrayal and only 11 disciples remain with him. An empty plate in the foreground refers to the commemoration of Christ's sacrifice in the Mass; traditional art would have a lamb on the plate. The regularity of Durer's lines contributes to the image's directness that is part of Reformational art.