Last Supper

Last Supper by Editors of Phaidon Press. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780714839400.

The Last Supper is not only one of the most intensely dramatic episodes in the Gospels, it also has enormous symbolic significance as the origin of the central Christian ritual of the Eucharist or Holy Communion. With its large cast of characters and its subtheme of betrayal, it has been a compelling subject for artists through the centuries. Presented here in a chronological sequence are over 100 of the finest representations of the subject, each demonstrating how the artist has responded to the complex challenge of creating a convincing group of individual personalities, and expressing their relationships with each other. Like its companion volumes, Last Supper presents a meditation on a single theme, yet one that is infinitely rich, allowing the viewer to appreciate the nuances of character and the endless skill with which artists have created new masterpieces out of old materials. Whether one focuses on the religious mystery, the human drama or the marvellous skill of the artist, these uncluttered and simply presented works of art provide food for thought and contemplation.