The Last Supper 1540 - 1545

This is a tapestry of 'The Last Supper', made by Michiel Coxie, and is now located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its monochrome hues and grand scale immediately command attention. The composition is arranged with the central figures of Jesus and his disciples seated around a long table. Coxie uses linear perspective to draw our eyes to the vanishing point, subtly placing emphasis on the figure of Christ. The arrangement destabilizes the traditional Renaissance focus on Christ as the central vanishing point, suggesting a more complex interplay of power and representation. Coxie employs a semiotic system of gestures and expressions, imbuing each character with symbolic weight. The reaction of each apostle is deliberately crafted, indicating the narrative tension, which reflects broader cultural and philosophical concerns around faith, betrayal, and mortality. The monochrome palette and dense textures challenge fixed meanings, engaging with new ways of thinking about space and perception. The absence of color serves not merely as an aesthetic choice but as a potent signifier, prompting ongoing interpretation and re-interpretation of the artwork's purpose.