Linnen damasten altaardwaal met Laatste Avondmaal c. 1871 - 1971

This linen damask altar cloth with the Last Supper was made by E.J.F. van Dissel & Zonen. Just imagine the artist carefully weaving threads to create this scene, probably using a loom. You know, sometimes I think about what it must have been like for artists back then, painstakingly creating these works of art, one thread at a time. I see a lamb, so fluffy, almost like a cloud. And those lines forming the shapes, they're so precise. There's a kind of softness to the whole thing, even though it’s so detailed. It reminds me of other textiles I've seen, like those old tapestries that tell stories. It's like the artist is having a conversation with all the other artists who have worked with fabric, sharing ideas and techniques across time. To me, this altar cloth isn’t just an object, it's a feeling, a way of expressing something deep and meaningful, in a tangible, beautiful way.