Laatste avondmaal 1560 - 1600

Editor: Here we have “The Last Supper,” an engraving from somewhere between 1560 and 1600, made by Johann Sadeler I, now at the Rijksmuseum. It's a complex composition, almost ornamental. How do you even begin to unpack something like this? What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, immediately, I see a highly structured composition overflowing with symbolism. The oval frame itself speaks of eternity, a never-ending cycle. But look closer: even within that, we see a narrative unfurling across the image, not just a single moment. Editor: I noticed the scene at the bottom, but hadn’t connected it to the Last Supper scene. Curator: Exactly. It is considered as the depiction of the Institution of the Eucharist, an image tied deeply to communal memory of sacrifice and salvation, framed literally within the Last Supper narrative, itself heavy with cultural baggage. Notice the cherubs up top – they signify divine approval, framing the earthly event in celestial light. But consider also how the artist weaves secular elements - almost baroque ornamentation - around the sacred scene. What do you suppose that juxtaposition represents? Editor: Hmm, maybe the merging of the earthly and divine realms? Or the Renaissance interest in embellishing everything, even religious scenes? Curator: Perhaps both! It underscores how religious imagery isn't static. Each era reinterprets these pivotal stories through the lens of its own values, aesthetics, even anxieties. The image, initially sacred, accumulates new symbolic layers across time. Editor: So the image transforms depending on who's looking at it and when? Curator: Precisely. And each element serves as a memory cue, connecting us to a shared cultural understanding – even as that understanding evolves. Think of it as a visual echo resonating across centuries. Editor: That’s fascinating; I hadn’t thought of the image as actively accumulating meaning like that. Thanks!