How to Read Paintings: The Last Supper by Dieric Bouts
A superbly detailed Netherlandish painting that draws the viewer into a devout scene
There is, a magnetic quality to this painting.
It was made by the Netherlandish painter Dieric Bouts in around 1468. Not only is the image extraordinary in its detail, it is composed in such a way as to allow the viewer to completely enter the scene.
Just look at how the two men at the front of the table leave a space for us to approach. Both wearing red, they sit on either side of a circular metal tray, creating a sort of aperture into which we can come into and take our place.
The magnetic effect is heightened by the vivid use of perspective. Let your eye follow any of the lines of the room — say, the edges of the table or the wooden beams on the ceiling — and you’ll see how they all converge on a single point directly above Christ’s head. This point indicates the eye-level of the viewer. It’s as if we’ve just walked into the room and, gazing down onto the table, have caught Christ’s eye as we approach.
