The Last Supper of Jesus 1911

Editor: Here we have Andre Derain's "The Last Supper of Jesus," painted in 1911, currently residing at the Art Institute of Chicago. It’s quite striking – a departure from traditional depictions. I’m really curious about the almost brutal simplification of form and the heavy use of pigment. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a direct challenge to the conventions of history painting. The subject, of course, is loaded, but Derain treats it not with reverence, but with a stark focus on the materials and labor involved. Note the heavy impasto – the thick application of oil paint – and how that draws our attention to the physical act of creation. This wasn’t divinely inspired. It was built with hands and earthly pigments. How does this reading challenge your initial view? Editor: It's true, the thickness of the paint almost feels aggressive, a forced construction, and draws me to wonder about the materials he uses and how this contributes to the composition of this painting. Curator: Precisely! And consider the flattening of space, denying the viewer any illusion of depth, highlighting the constructed nature of the image itself. What relationship do you notice between this technique and other works created around the time period? Editor: I'm still processing, but what strikes me is how this shifts the focus away from the spiritual narrative. This expressionist approach is much more material. The workers' labor is shown, the source and physicality, becoming the key element to decode the art. It is challenging, since most of the religious art I've seen puts focus on the religious aspect of the theme itself. Curator: Indeed, and understanding this materialism allows us to understand Derain’s artistic intervention – an attempt to create not a window into the divine, but a meditation on the conditions of artistic production itself. Editor: I didn't even think of labor and materials. The fact that this shifts my perception of what painting can be... well, that is extremely helpful. Thanks!