At the Last Supper?

last supper So who really was there – at the Last Supper? think of the Last Supper – Pauline O’Regan what account would they give the interested non- reflects on a Christian asking how they pictured that momentous windfall that Christian event. her community My guess is that in nine received: a painting such cases out of ten, our imagination would reflect for our time The Last Supper in the painting by Leonardo da Vinci. If we ever doubted the power of an image over that of the written most unusual thing happened word, here is all the proof to our community two days we need of the power of before Christmas – unusual but one picture. Da Vinci’s Adelightful. We were all away for the day, portrayal of Jesus gathered an unusual thing in itself, and when we for an exclusive meal with returned in the evening, a large framed his twelve apostles has picture was hanging in our front room. embedded itself deep How it got there is another story, but in the consciousness of if you have friends who think laterally, thousands on thousands of you won’t need an explanation. people over the centuries. His became the accepted It’s a picture of the Last Supper – a impression of the Last Supper. The fact suggest that they were the only ones copy of the contemporary painting that da Vinci painted it 1500 years after there. If Scripture itself did not provide by the Polish artist, Bohdan Piasecki. the event was quite lost on most of us. us with enough evidence, we have the The original is a 57inch by 38inch oil words of the Eucharistic liturgy that on canvas commissioned by the Irish All of this is utterly amazing when we hear repeated day after day, Sunday group, BASIC (Brothers and Sisters in we come to think of how the four after Sunday – He broke the bread, gave Christ). Even as a copy it is arresting evangelists wrote about the Last Supper. it to his disciples and said, ‘Take this all and beautiful. We all love it, not only Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all use of you and eat it...’ and again, He... gave for its artistic grace, but because of what the word disciples when describing who the cup to his disciples and said ‘Take this it is saying to us. It is a talking point was present at that Passover meal. It was all of you and drink from it...’ So it was with virtually everyone who comes his disciples that Jesus sent to make the to his disciples that Jesus gave the first into our home. It asks of each person necessary arrangements beforehand bread and cup. Women were counted who looks at it that they examine what and even where it is said that Jesus was amongst his disciples and, we might image comes to their mind when they at table with the Twelve, it does not say, children also in the same manner as they are today. Of course they were not excluded from his last meal. Even if we did not have such scriptural evidence, our knowledge of the culture of the time and indeed of today, should be sufficient to provide our imagination with a more inclusive picture. Leonardo, a captive of his own culture, gives us twelve men and Jesus at a Passover meal. 16 Tui Motu InterIslands So who really was there – at the Last Supper? gives the bread of life to his an angel about bringing God into our disciples. world in human form. A n d n o w, B o h d a n There is so much to meditate on in Piasecki presents us with this new work of art. On this canvas, a Last Supper for a new scripture and art come together at last. mill-ennium. Here at Our eyes can now see what our ears last, we have Jesus with hear at every Mass – that Jesus gave the his disciples eating the first Eucharist to hisdisciples . Women, Passover meal together. as well as men, were his disciples. That They have followed him night he gave the bread to them as well faithfully through the as to the men. If he did not, then who dusty roads and villages of sanctioned that they should receive it Palestine and now, he has later? Or, for that matter, on whose gathered them together authority do I receive it today? for this last meal which After Jesus had given the bread and will become the meal of all the cup to his disciples on that first his disciples to the end of Holy Thursday he said to all present, time. No one is excluded Do this in memory of me. Now, there’s in this picture. In the 16th something which should merit our century, Tintoretto had the prayerful consideration! It is what women present as servants. Bohdan Piasecki’s Last Supper offers In the 21st century Bohdan for our meditation. Here indeed, is a Piasecki has the women painting for the 21st century. ■ and children seated at the Bohdan Piasecki’s picture can be obtained He appears to have no awareness of table, the mother sitting opposite her from BASIC at St Francois, Avoca Avenue, the essential family nature of any Blackrock, Dublin, Ireland email:basic@ son, as befitted one who talked with indigo.ie kosher Jewish Seder. His painting, great classic art that it is, would simply be inconceivable to a Jew of his time Tintoretto (1518-1594): The Last Supper San Giorgio, Venice or indeed of any age. No women and children at a Passover meal?? Unthinkable! A hundred years after Leonardo da Vinci, another great Italian painter also did the Last Supper. In 1594 Tintoretto gave his perception of that momentous event, but it has never captured the popular imagination in the manner of his famous predecessor. In marvellously vibrant colours Tintoretto depicts a gloriously chaotic scene: people fill the whole canvas, dogs look for scraps, angels fall out of the rafters, the Holy Spirit bathes the whole atmosphere in golden light, women on every side serve at table and Jesus in the midst of it all Tui Motu InterIslands 17.

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