The Last Supper (Nolde)

Last updated
The Last Supper
Artist Emil Nolde
Year1909
Medium Oil on canvas
Dimensions86 cm× 107 cm(34 in× 42 in)
Location National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen

The Last Supper is an oil-on-canvas painting by Danish German painter Emil Nolde, created in 1909. It is held in the National Gallery of Denmark, in Copenhagen. [1]

Contents

History

Nolde came from a Protestant family, but it was only after surviving a serious case of poisoning that he became interested in the making of Christian-inspired paintings. This painting marks the start of a new phase in his career. In this case, he depicts the Last Supper, a traditional theme in paintings dealing with the life of Christ, but here in a very personal way.

Description

Nolde adopts an expressionist approach, presenting Jesus and the Apostles around a table in the Last Supper, but with the use of expressive colours and ignoring entirely the surrounding space. The painting focus more in its characters and their psychological force. Jesus appears at the center, with eyes closed, while holding the cup in His hands. Dressed in red and white, his yellow face and serene expression seem to anticipate the events of his passion. The Apostles surround him in an unusual closeness, each with different expressions. They aren't easily identifiable and their iconography is far from that traditionally adopted in Christian art. Judas Iscariot on Jesus' right, looks to outside the scene, as if he does not belong there. [1] [2]

Tuan Hong states that "Rather than a variety of reactions, the painting shows unity and communion among the apostles, whose faces turn towards Jesus while sharing a similar expression. (Situated on the upper left side, Judas is the only one that looks away from the center.) Besides the cramped space among Jesus and the apostles, Nolde reinforces their companionship by showing one apostle extending his hand to another while a third apostle wraps his arm around the shoulder of the second. The followers of Jesus need one another as much as they need him." [3] [4]

H. W. Janson, in his History of Art, chose the current painting as representative of Nolde's style, and mentions the influences of Paul Gauguin and primitive art, along with its similarities to James Ensor's depiction of masks, and the sculpture of Ernst Barlach. [5]

Provenance

The painting was acquired by the Halle Museum, in 1912, not without controversy, but it was purged during the Nazi campaign against degenerate art and exhibited in the following exhibition in 1937. Nolde eventually was able to recover the painting and it remained in his possession for the following years. He left it in his last will to the National Gallery of Denmark. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Last Supper</span> Meal that Jesus shared with his apostles before his crucifixion

The Last Supper is the final meal that, in the Gospel accounts, Jesus shared with his apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper is commemorated by Christians especially on Holy Thursday. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "Holy Communion" or "The Lord's Supper".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emil Nolde</span> German painter

Emil Nolde was a German-Danish painter and printmaker. He was one of the first Expressionists, a member of Die Brücke, and was one of the first oil painting and watercolor painters of the early 20th century to explore color. He is known for his brushwork and expressive choice of colors. Golden yellows and deep reds appear frequently in his work, giving a luminous quality to otherwise somber tones. His watercolors include vivid, brooding storm-scapes and brilliant florals.

<i>The Last Supper</i> (Leonardo) Mural painting by Leonardo da Vinci, 1490s

The Last Supper is a mural painting by the Italian High Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, dated to c. 1495–1498, housed in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. The painting represents the scene of the Last Supper of Jesus with the Twelve Apostles, as it is told in the Gospel of John – specifically the moment after Jesus announces that one of his apostles will betray him. Its handling of space, mastery of perspective, treatment of motion and complex display of human emotion has made it one of the Western world's most recognizable paintings and among Leonardo's most celebrated works. Some commentators consider it pivotal in inaugurating the transition into what is now termed the High Renaissance.

The Last Supper refers to the last meal that Jesus Christ took with his disciples.

<i>Supper at Emmaus</i> (Caravaggio, London) Painting by Caravaggio

The Supper at Emmaus is a painting by the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio, executed in 1601, and now in London. It depicts the Gospel story of the resurrected Jesus's appearance in Emmaus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiss of Judas</span> Kiss by which Judas Iscariot identified and betrayed Jesus Christ

The kiss of Judas, also known as the Betrayal of Christ, is the act with which Judas identified Jesus to the multitude with swords and clubs who had come from the chief priests and elders of the people to arrest him, according to the Synoptic Gospels. The kiss is given by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane after the Last Supper and leads directly to the arrest of Jesus by the police force of the Sanhedrin.

<i>The Sacrament of the Last Supper</i> Painting by Salvador Dalí

The Sacrament of the Last Supper is a painting by Salvador Dalí. Completed in 1955, after nine months of work, it remains one of his most popular compositions. Since its arrival at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 1955, it replaced Renoir's A Girl with a Watering Can as the most popular piece in the museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giovanni Canavesio</span> Italian painter

Giovanni Canavesio was an Italian artist, documented as a "master artist" in 1450. He was proficient in polyptychs or panels, monumental paintings, and book illuminations. He was active in Liguria and southern France later in his life but documents of his activities before 1450 are missing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesus predicts his betrayal</span> Christian biblical narrative

Jesus predicts his betrayal three times in the New Testament, a narrative which is included in all four Canonical Gospels. This prediction takes place during the Last Supper in Matthew 26:24–25, Mark 14:18–21, Luke 22:21–23, and John 13:21–30.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Last Supper in Christian art</span>

The Last Supper of Jesus and the Twelve Apostles has been a popular subject in Christian art, often as part of a cycle showing the Life of Christ. Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art date back to early Christianity and can be seen in the Catacombs of Rome.

<i>Last Supper</i> (Cranach) 1565 alterpiece by Lucas Cranach the Younger

After Luther's objections to large public religious images had started to fade, Lucas Cranach the Elder, along with his son and workshop began to work on a number of altarpieces of the Last Supper, among other subjects.

<i>The Last Supper</i> (Ghirlandaio) Fresco by Domenico Ghirlandaio

The Italian Renaissance painter Domenico Ghirlandaio painted the Last Supper of Jesus three times in separate fresco paintings in or near Florence. The oldest of the three is located in the Badia di Passignano (1476). The next painting is the most famous one, painted in the refectory of the Convent of the Ognissanti (1480). The last painting is found at the Convent of San Marco (1486). The last two paintings are found in Florence itself.

<i>Last Supper</i> (Castagno) Fresco by Andrea del Castagno in the Rectory of Santa Apollonia

The Last Supper (1445–1450) is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance artist Andrea del Castagno, located in the refectory of the convent of Sant'Apollonia, now the Museo di Cenacolo di Sant'Apollonia, and accessed through a door on Via Ventisette Aprile at the corner with Santa Reparata, in Florence, region of Tuscany. The painting depicts Jesus and the Apostles during the Last Supper, with Judas, unlike all the other apostles, sitting separately on the near side of the table, as is common in depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art.

<i>Last Supper</i> (Rubens) Painting by Peter Paul Rubens

The Last Supper (1630–1631) is an oil painting by Peter Paul Rubens. It was commissioned by Catherine Lescuyer as a commemorative piece for her father. Rubens created it as part of an altarpiece in the Church of St. Rombout (Rumbold) in Mechelen. The painting depicts Jesus and the Apostles during the Last Supper, with Judas dressed in blue turning back towards the viewer and away from the table. Other than Jesus, the most prominent figure is Judas. Judas holds his right hand to his mouth with his eyes avoiding direct contact with the other figures in the painting creating a nervous expression. Jesus is dressed in red and has a yellow halo surrounding his head with his face tilted upwards. Jesus is located centrally in the painting surrounded by his disciples with six on each side, and he holds a loaf of bread with a cup of wine in front of him. Out of all of the figures, he is the most in the light with the figures to the farthest left being the most in shadow. “The scene thus represents a perfect conflation of the theological significance of the Last Supper” meaning the conflation between the blessing of the bread and the wine while still being pivotal in the sense of revealing the betrayal.

<i>Last Supper</i> (Rosselli) Fresco in the Sistine Chapel

The Last Supper is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance painters Cosimo Rosselli and Biagio d'Antonio. Created during the years 1481–1482, it is located in the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

<i>Last Supper</i> (Ge) Painting by Nikolai Ge

The Last Supper is a painting by the Russian painter Nikolai Ge (1831–1894), completed in 1863. It is part of the collection of the State Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg. The size of the picture is 283 × 382 cm.

<i>The Last Supper</i> (Damaskinos) Painting by Michael Damaskinos.

The Last Supper is a tempera painting by Greek painter Michael Damaskinos. He painted in Heraklion, Sicily, Venice, and other parts of Italy. His painting of the Last Supper is considered the Greek Last Supper and is comparative to Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece painted one hundred years prior. The two painters employed different painting styles but the subjects pose similarities. Damaskinos's painting features a feminine figure similar to that of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper. The Damaskinos Last Supper is now in the Monastery of Agia Aikaterini in Heraklion, Crete. It is part of the collection of Saint Catherine's Monastery near Mount Sinai, Egypt.

The Life of Christ is a nine-part polyptych by the German Expressionist painter Emil Nolde, produced in 1911–1912. It is one of the main works of the artist's Christian-inspired religious paintings. It is held at the Nolde Stiftung Seebüll.

<i>The Last Supper</i> (photograph) 1999 photograph by Adi Ness

Untitled, better known as The Last Supper, is a 1999 photo by Israeli photographer Adi Nes. Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's famous late-15th century painting of the same name, the photo features 14 Israeli soldiers in a setting reminiscent of the Last Supper. Nes created The Last Supper to reflect the idea that death is ever-present in Israeli society, not only in combat but also in daily life. By portraying the soldiers as both Jesus and Judas Iscariot, Nes sought to emphasize the vulnerability and fragility of their lives. The photograph hints at the possibility that this meal could be the last for any of the soldiers.

The Agony in the Garden is an early painting by the Italian Renaissance master Giovanni Bellini, who painted it around 1458-60. It is in the National Gallery, London. It is painted in egg tempera on wood panel, measuring 80.4cm by 127cm. The painting depicts a biblical scene following the Last Supper wherein Judas has betrayed Christ and now pursues him where he prays in the Garden of Gethsemane, accompanied by the disciples Peter, James, and John. The piece bears visual similarity to the version by Andrea Mantegna, Bellini's brother-in-law, meaning the two paintings are often studied in the context of one another. The painting utilizes many common elements of Renaissance symbolism in order to foreshadow Christ's crucifixion and the presence of God in the piece.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Nadveren, 1909, Emil Nolde | SMK Open". open.smk.dk.
  2. ↑ "Emil Nolde Paintings, Bio, Ideas". The Art Story.
  3. ↑ "Reflections on Unity in Community through Artistic Expressions of the Last Supper - Spiritual Life Blog | Pepperdine University". www.pepperdine.edu.
  4. ↑ "The Last Supper [Emil Nolde]| Sartle - Rogue Art History". www.sartle.com. November 19, 2018.
  5. ↑ H. W. Janson, Anthony F. Janson, History of Art: The Western Tradition, New Jersey, Pearson Education, 6th edition, 2004
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.