Folsom Prison 'Last Supper' Mural Featuring Inmates, Guards As Disciples In Need Of Restoration

FOLSOM PRISON (CBS13) — It's a mural of the Last Supper you probably haven't seen, but a group of local supporters are rallying to restore it.

The mural inside Folsom Prison's Greystone Chapel was designed by inmate 21692, Ralph Pecor in 1938.

But it's been slowly decaying in the 76 years since.

"It was painted on the original concrete wall and it's absorbing water, which is now getting into the paint and peeling it from the wall," said Lt. Joseph Tuggle.

Restoring it will come with a price tag between $100,000 and $200,000, and a lot of careful work.

"They have to take it off in like one-inch squares, piece by piece. And this thing's probably 20 feet wide by 14 feet high," said Joel Valencia with the Old Guard Foundation. "It does break your heart to go in there and see these sheets of paint just coming off the wall, because it needs to be saved."

But how can they ask donors for help restoring a work of art they can't see? The goal is to move it to the prison museum so the public can enjoy it.

"So it's basically in prison, you know; so as long as it's in prison, people aren't going to be able to see it," he said.

It might be interesting to see, considering rumors of Pecor putting a personal, dark touch on the painting.

"All the disciples were murderers that were incarcerated at Folsom Prison and the painter, Ralph Pecor used his face as Jesus Christ," he said.