Lot 224

During the last meal before his crucifixion, Jesus announces to his twelve apostles that one of them will betray him. It is a moment full of shock, gravitas and confusion. This particular compositional interpretation is taken from Flemish artist Artus Wolfaert's 'Last Supper' from 1630.

Wolfaert was trained by Otto van Veen (Peter Paul Rubens' teacher), though his works created after his teacher's death in 1629 demonstrate more of an influence by Rubens and his humanist ideals.

This 'Last Supper' shares similarities with Rubens' own painting of the Last Supper (1631-1632). Both works portray a conflation of theological cornerstones, including Christ's prediction of betrayal and his apostles' horrified reactions, the foreshadowing of his crucifixion, and also the act of Christ blessing the bread (and thereby instituting the sacrament of the Eucharistic). There is more of a flowing dynamic between the figures than is seen in many Renaissance compositions, Da Vinci's included, and both Rubens and Wolfaert (and by continuation the artist of the present lot) seem to have studied similar models and facial expressions for their figures. Jesus in Rubens' painting bears a remarkable resemblance to the young John the Evangelist in the present work, who is recoiling in shock to Jesus' right. The traitor, Judas Iscariot, is recognisable in the present lot on the viewer's side of the table clutching a purse which contains his reward for identifying Christ to the authorities the following day. He wears a yellow robe, a colour which was often associated with mistrust, envy and duplicity.

The subject of the Last Supper is one of art history's most recognisable and iconic, largely due to Leonardo Da Vinci's interpretation (1495-1498), and the sheer number of artworks exploring the subject during the Renaissance. Due to its compositional complexity and the sheer depth of emotion and spirituality contained in its narrative, a 'Last Supper' painting was often executed at the height of an artist's career - as their chef d'oeuvre. The subject has been deconstructed and revisited through the centuries, even by artists such as Salvador Dalí and Andy Warhol, testament to its ongoing significance in the canon of art history.