Harald Duwe

Last Supper - Harald Duwe

I found an interesting book called 'Beyond Belief: Modern Art & the Religious Imagination' which has interesting essays at the beginning, as well as showing work by artists I had previously not heard of.

There is one particular artist that I wanted to highlight for this blog, but I've been unable to find a good copy of his painting on the interest to show, and currently have no access to a scanner, but I felt I should still mention him.

The painting is called Abendmanhisbild (Last Supper) by Harald Duwe. He was a German artist and painted this image eight years before he died. This painting apparently was a result of a discussion with a group of his friends about whether it was still possible to paint christian subjects in modern society.

The Last Supper depicts twelve men dressed smartly in suits behind the table, which is in the foreground. What I like about this painting is that the meal on the table consists of Jesus' body parts in various bowls, and is blood within the cups, turning the Last Supper into a literal translation, but because the image is so busy, it is not until you look at the painting carefully that you see Jesus' head appearing out of the bowl, with his various body parts such as his heart scattered around the table.

From what I have been able to read about Duwe, he was not a christian, and did not want to paint this image to be inspiring and encouraging fellow Christians, but instead to shock his audience and make them question their own opinion and reaction to the crucifixion. The figure in the middle of the painting holding a spoon is a self portrait of Duwe, and the other eleven are portraits of his friends. Each person is a different explain to how people react to the table before them and the sacrifice Jesus made.

I like the fact that there a little details that I am still finding within the image. For example I did not notice until reading an article on this painting, that the group a crowded around the table which has an empty seat..maybe the empty presence of Jesus, or where he once sat?

http://www.rutgerschurch.com/Sermons/sermon022501.html