Last Supper
 

Can't think why it didn't occur to me to run this earlier. The BBC showed a terrific film on the subject in April 2006, including a variety of homages and a good drubbing for the silly Mr Brown. No claim, then, for originality, but here are my findings.

A good starting place for kindred images is the Food Museum, some of which I have pinched below. Must get a lunch box.
Wikipedia, as usual, is also worth a look, mentioning references in M*A*S*H,  Jesus Christ Superstar, Mel Brooks' History of the World, Part I and the British TV show Shameless. And featuring the representation in salt below.

Here is the original from Leonardo

The next must be from the finest film director of all time, Buñuel, who, in his 1961 Viridiana portrays the Last Supper enjoyed by tramps invading a mansion.  (Apr 06)

  

And his pal Dali, The Sacrament of the Last Supper, 1955  (Apr 06)
 

Warhol's last exercise was variations on the Last Supper. There is a good article on the subject here. (May 06)

 

Now some more frivolous exercises

The Black Sabbath film Last Supper, with the nice Mr Osbourne wearing the glasses. Probably a reference to Scorsese's super Last Waltz with The Band. (May 06)

 

Some cooks, from the Observer  (Apr 06)

and the Guardian, an ad for clothes banned in Italy  (Apr 06)

 

Here's another good link, from which I have pinched the next few


Cui Xiuwen: Sanjie (2003) (May 06)


David Lachapelle (May 06)


Egy dán paintball-pálya reklámja - whatever that means (May 06)


Renee Cox: Yo Mamma's last Supper,  article here (May 06)


Wackerbarth: Last Supper I. (May 06)

Also available carved in butter by Norma "Duffy" Lyon  (Apr 06)

and in salt, courtesy of Wikipedia, from the Wieliczka salt mine in Poland (May 06)

from eBay, Painting by Numbers (May 06)

described by the seller thusly, 'This is an oil paint by number kit of The Last Supper. It is still sealed, never opened and in mint condition. This kit includes a wall size 14" by 28" painting panel, 30 artist oil colors, 2 artist brushes and complete instructions. This is a classic numbered oil paint set after Leonardo Da Vinci. It is an ideal painting for the upcoming Easter holiday'.

Back to films and TV.
Apart from Buñuel's Viridiana, illustrated above, and Wikipedia's list of M*A*S*H,  Jesus Christ Superstar, Mel Brooks' History of the World, Part I and the British TV show Shameless, this article identifies a reference in the British rock-and-roll comedy Still Crazy (1998) (May 06). Illustrations are needed for each of these.

The context for (another of my favourites) Altman's MASH is provided here, 'THE SCENE: Capt. Walter Kosciusko "Painless Pole" Waldowski - the best equipped dentist in the army - has decided his womanizing is merely a cover-up for homosexuality. Feeling he has nothing to live for, he can see only one way out: suicide. Painless seeks out his surgical friends for a quick and easy method. "Black capsule!" says Trapper John. Painless wonders if it will really work but is assured by Trapper, "It worked for Hitler and Eva Braun."
So the stage is set for the Last Supper. Painless consumes his Black Capsule and lies down in his coffin. At this Private Seidman, accompanied by guitar, begins to sing
' the song Suicide is painless. Image from here.   



Mel Brooks film described here, 'We were watching the History of the World tonight on TV and sure enough - they have a scene about the last supper! Mel is a waiter in the restaurant where the dinner takes place. Then Leonardo comes in and looks at them all sitting around the table and says he doesn't want to paint their backs. So he tells the ones on one side to go around to the other side for the portrait'

And finally the Last Supper RPG. (Apr 06), Described as. 'The Last Supper is a one-evening RPG. Over supper, players take the roles of Christ and the Apostles, on the tense eve of the crucifixion. Their discussions form the basis of what will become the doctrine of Christianity; the players explore the ramifications of this doctrine and sketch the history of the world'. The rules make an interesting read, but I am not tempted to try it.

originals max 800 wide, thumbnail to 250
The (mmm-yy) date against each entry is the date added to the page.

Page started 24th April 2006