Detail of St. Peter's face ; In one of the most carefully observed and naturalistic moonlit scenes painted in the early 16th century, a youthful Christ kneels in prayer, tearfully contemplating the chalice and host before him - symbols of his imminent sacrifice on the cross. Following the account in Luke 22:40�45, the disciples Peter, John, and James sleep nearby, as the menacing crowd of soldiers advances from the right background to arrest Christ. Fragments of a prayer on the border of Christ's robe petition God for mercy and ask for guidance in matters of daily life in preparation for the desired heavenly reward of eternal life. The triptych, formed by this painting and the outer wings representing St. Jerome (now in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1952.5.40a-b), likely adorned an altar in a chapel or a church where the Eucharist was celebrated and the prayer was regularly recited. (http://www.metmuseum.org)