On this monumental canvas, Christ is seated for the last time with his twelve disciples, including Judas, the man who will betray him. Jesus will break the bread and drink the wine. The disciples – who have expressive, thick-set heads and striking hands – kneel in a bare, claustrophobic space. The third disciple on the left is a self-portrait of the artist.
To reconcile the language of modern art with the essential message of Christianity: this is what the Flemish painter and devout Christian, Gustave Van de Woestyne, attempted to achieve in this monumental but oppressive canvas, as in many other works. Van de Woestyne’s innovative art was not always well received by his fellow believers...
In The Last Supper, which dates from 1927, Van de Woestyne tackled a subject with a long tradition: Christ sits at the table with his twelve apostles for the last time, including the man who will betray him, Judas. Jesus will break the bread and drink the wine. His bare feet attest to his vulnerability. The kneeling apostles are contorted, depicted in a bare space, with broad expressive heads, and extremely distinctive hands. On the left, the third apostle in the row is a self-portrait of Van de Woestyne. Despite the strange chill that this canvas radiates, the colours, scale and techniques are all reminiscent of Italian fresco paintings.
Gustave Van de Woestyne began his career in the Flemish village of Sint-Martens-Latem, as a Symbolist artist who sought inspiration in religion. The Flemish Primitives, among others, had made an early impression on him. When he painted this work in 1927, he was a well-known artist, but also recognised within the field of art education. At this point in time, he belonged to the Expressionist movement.