The Last Supper 1520 - 1530

Bernard van Orley's tapestry, "The Last Supper," now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, envelops us in a scene rich with texture and symbolic meaning. Woven with wool and silk, the tapestry uses color and intricate detail to draw our eyes across its expansive surface. The composition is carefully structured to balance the earthly and the divine. The figures are arranged along a horizontal plane, yet the architectural elements behind them lift our gaze upwards, creating a sense of verticality. This interplay suggests a bridge between the human realm and the divine. The halos around Christ and some disciples mark a distinction, yet they are integrated into the scene, emphasizing Christ's presence as both a man among men and a divine figure. The tapestry's materiality, the interweaving of threads, mirrors the interconnectedness of the figures and the themes of communion and sacrifice. As such, the Last Supper becomes not just a biblical scene but a carefully constructed tapestry where form and content merge to provoke thought and reflection.