Aertsen worked in Antwerp from 1535 to c.1555 and is best known for his large-scale paintings of kitchens or butcher shops which sometimes, as here, have a biblical connection. The table in the background simply laid with bread and wine alludes to the Last Supper. The luxurious display of food in the foreground is contrasted with the simplicity of the apostle's meal as transient, worldly pleasures are contrasted with eternal and spiritual values.