Jacob Jordaens, The Last Supper, 1655

by Atelier Liesjes

In a room with a tall arched window, leaded stained-glass panes and a brass chandelier stands a long table laid with a white tablecloth. In the centre sits Christ, clad in a reddish-pink cloak, a golden chalice in his hand, his gaze fixed straight ahead. Around him, the apostles are gathered: bearded men in blue, green and ochre-yellow robes, some seated, others standing or half-rising. On the right, John, youthful and long-haired, leans forward. On the left in the foreground, a large silver jug stands on the floor; next to it sits a white and brown dog. On the right-hand side, a view opens up onto trees and a pale sky, whilst a heavy red drape hangs in the top left-hand corner. On the table lie bread and a dish of meat. Jordaens chose the moment when Christ raises the chalice and announces the institution of the Eucharist. The tension lies not in the miracle but in the reactions of the men around him: astonishment, disbelief, shaking of heads. The composition is Baroque in the double diagonal formed by the table and the gazes, and in the stark contrast between the warm, reddish-brown interior and the cool daylight streaming through the windows. The colours are earthy and deep: carmine, moss green, ochre and brown, with the white of the tablecloth providing a point of calm. The scene is at once solemn and homely, as is customary with this painter, who liked to set the sacred within a recognisable Antwerp interior. Jacob Jordaens (Antwerp 1593 – Antwerp 1678) was, alongside Rubens and Van Dyck, the third great name of the Flemish Baroque. He painted this Last Supper during his mature period, when he received commissions from across the Southern Netherlands. His religious work stands out for the human, almost rustic directness of the figures. A dignified, warm work for a classic interior.