Andalusian school; 17th century.

Andalusian school; 17th century.
‘The Last Supper’.
Oil on copper.
It has a 19th century frame in gilded and carved wood with faults.
Measurements: 22 x 17 cm; 45 x 41 cm (frame).

The Last Supper is one of the most important representations in the history of Western art. Firstly, because it is the concrete moment in which the sacrament of the Eucharist is established, since Jesus at that supper made the analogy between his body and the bread, and the wine and his blood. Secondly, the mythical scene, which was painted by Leonardo, laid the foundations of Renaissance aesthetics, thus contributing a conception of perspective that was hegemonic until well into the 20th century. In this particular case, the scene reflects this aesthetic based on the Leonardesque composition. Despite the fact that all the figures are located in the form of a frieze, the artist has established several planes that give a certain depth to the whole. These are defined by the apostles in front of or behind the table, and by the anecdotal elements in the foreground, such as the jar in allusion to two of Jesus' best-known miracles and Christ's own gesture as he moves his body towards Saint John.

Formally, the scene is part of academicism, and therefore follows classical rules, the first of which is its high technical quality. Thus, the drawing is rigorous and firm, with great anatomical perfection. Academicism is a direct legacy of classicism, hence the predilection for themes such as the one we present here, taken from religion, although captured from a sensual and decorative point of view far removed from the solemnity of ancient classical art. This also explains the way in which the subject is approached. Nevertheless, we can appreciate an ideal of beauty that is not based on reality, although the painter's study of nature is undeniable, but rather an idealism based on reality through his sum of experience, that is to say, an aesthetic sublimation that reflects a beauty that transcends reality. Baroque painting is one of the most authentic and personal examples of our art, because its conception and form of expression arose from the people and their deepest feelings. With the economy of the state in ruins, the nobility in decline and the clergy heavily taxed, it was the monasteries, parishes and confraternities of clerics and laymen who encouraged its development, with the works sometimes being financed by popular subscription.Painting was thus obliged to express the prevailing ideals in these circles, which were none other than religious ideals, at a time when Counter-Reformation doctrine demanded that art should use realistic language so that the faithful could understand and identify with what was represented, and an expression endowed with intense emotional content to increase the fervour and devotion of the people. The religious theme was therefore the subject matter.