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This medieval wooden sculpture by Adriaen van Wesel represents a scene from the life of Christ. It is now presented as an independent work, but that was not the artist’s intention. The piece originally formed part of a far larger retable, or altarpiece, comprising a number of sculptures.

In the past, particularly in the nineteenth century, altars were often dismantled or cut into separate parts, each of which was sold individually. As a result, they were scattered among various collections in different parts of the world. In 1475, Van Wesel was commissioned to make a large altarpiece depicting the Life of the Virgin for a chapel in Saint Jan’s Cathedral in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. That, too, was later divided up. Some of its components are now in museums in the Netherlands and abroad, such as the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Gruuthuse Museum in Bruges.

It is impossible to identify the altarpiece to which The Last Supper originally belonged. It was probably an altarpiece illustrating the Passion of Christ. The Passion, along with the Life of the Virgin, was a popular subject in late mediaeval art. The exact provenance of the work is unlikely ever to be known.

Details

  • Title: The Last Supper
  • Creator Lifespan: circa 1417 - circa 1490
  • Creator Nationality: Dutch
  • Creator Gender: Male
  • Creator Death Place: Utrecht, the Netherlands
  • Creator Birth Place: Utrecht, the Netherlands
  • Date Created: circa 1480 - 1490
  • Theme: Christianity-New Testament
  • Sculptor: Adriaen van Wesel
  • Physical Dimensions: w550 x h520 x d195 cm (Complete)
  • Original Title: Het Laatste Avondmaal
  • Artist Information: Adriaen van Wesel was born in 1417 in Utrecht and became a member of the local saddle-makers guild, to which sculptors were also admitted at that time. He became a successful sculptor, much in demand by important clients. He made altarpieces for both the Maria Church in Utrecht and the St. Jan in Den Bosch. It is exceptional that such facts are known of his life and work; it is often impossible to determine the maker of many works dating from the 15th century.
  • Type: Sculpture
  • Rights: Lent by Stichting Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen 1940, http://collectie.boijmans.nl/en/disclaimer/
  • External Link: Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
  • Medium: Polychromed oak

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