The Last Supper c. 19th century

Curator: Alexander L. Dick's "The Last Supper," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums, depicts a key moment in Christian theology and Western art. What strikes you first? Editor: The table dominates! It's massive, almost overflowing with food. The cloth itself seems so heavy, like it's made of lead, visually grounding the scene. Curator: It's interesting to consider how artists of the time interpreted such an important narrative. The arrangement of figures, the lighting, the architectural setting—it all conveys meaning. Editor: Yes, and look at the plates and the way the light plays on their surfaces. The artist is emphasizing the mundane alongside the divine. It makes you consider the labor involved in preparing this meal. Curator: Indeed, and understanding the distribution of this image through prints, its availability to a wider public, speaks to the democratization of religious imagery. Editor: So, a tension between the sacred and the everyday through the materiality of the setting, circulated for mass consumption. Fascinating. Curator: Precisely. It is this duality which continues to give the work resonance.