The Lord's Supper
The Last Supper of the Lord -
I wanted to share some of the inspiration behind this painting with you as we enter into the Easter Triduum and especially tonight as we commemorate the Last Supper of our Lord with his Apostles.
Last year I was asked to create a huge image of the Last Supper. The painting literally took up my entire dining room table over the course of a month. As I prayed about this project, I felt inspired to depict this scene differently than it is normally portrayed. I’m sure you noticed the joy on the Apostles faces.
This image is not meant to replace the absolutely beautiful and solemn depictions of the Last Supper. It is only meant to capture another part of the story. As I imagined the Apostles eating the passover meal with Jesus, I couldn’t help but think that there must have been moments of brotherly affection during the course of the evening. And especially as Jesus raised up the bread to heaven, blessed and broke it…I picture the deep love and desire he had for them, and for each one of us. He is offering them, and us, his very heart - and soon he will literally be broken, his life given out to the world.
Also, notice in this image how all the Apostles, except for Judas, are turned toward Jesus. Our eyes and hearts are meant to move toward Christ and then He points us to His father. The precise moment I tried to capture in this image was His prayer for Unity.
"May they all be one, just as, Father, you are in me and I am in you, so that they also may be in us... I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one as we are one."
-John 17:21-22
I really resonated with this prayer. In my painting, you can palpably feel the unity, friendship, love of Jesus and his Apostles. This is contrasted with the person of Judas who has turned his back on the others. He is alone and unhappy in his isolation.
As I have grown as an artist, I have felt the desire and the call to bring more joy and humanity to Catholic art, and I loved being able to incorporate that into this painting. The original watercolor painting was huge - 30x45" and the largest project that I have ever attempted. It was such an honor and growing experience for me.
