Dublin's Last Supper
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Dublin's Last Supper is a photographic mural by Irish artist John Byrne, which was installed in the city's Italian Quarter in 2004. Modeled on Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, the work features contemporary Dubliners as Jesus and the Twelve Apostles.[1] Measuring 2.2 metres by 9.3 metres, Dublin's Last Supper is printed on vitreous enamel covering nine steel panels installed along Millennium Walk.[1][2][3]
| Dublin's Last Supper | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | John Byrne |
| Year | 2004 |
| Dimensions | 220 cm x 930 cm |
| Location | Dublin |
BackgroundEdit
In 2003, Byrne was approached by curator Clíodhna Shaffrey to submit a proposal for the project, which was commissioned by developer Mick Wallace of M&J Wallace, as a centrepiece for the Italian Quarter in Dublin.[4][3]
In February 2004, Byrne started recruiting local models on the streets of Dublin, based on their resemblance to the figures in da Vinci's work.[4][5] He approached a total of 150 potential candidates, who were narrowed down to 13 following rehearsals and screen tests.[2] The models were Dubliners from a wide range of social and ethnic backgrounds, and included three women.[2] Jesus was portrayed by Kulpreet Singh, an Indian Sikh PhD student at Trinity College Dublin.[3][2] The apostles were portrayed by Dubliners representing a variety of professions, including a tattoo artist, a librarian, an actor, a travel centre employee, an ecologist, a building worker, a network analyst, and various other students.[3]
Byrne photographed the models at a studio in Cow's Lane, in groups of one to three people at a time.[4] The photographs were scanned in high resolution and sent to Belgium, where they were transposed onto nine panels of vitreous enamel.[4] Byrne oversaw the installation in Dublin in July 2004.[4]
DescriptionEdit
The Twelve Apostles dining with Jesus are dressed in contemporary clothing with a medieval style which evokes da Vinci's original work.[4] The exception is Judas, who is dressed in a suit and appears to be a banker or businessman.[4]
The table itself is laid with Irish soda bread and a teapot, in addition to wine and fruit.[2] Other elements include a Juventus jersey draped over a chair in the corner, which is an homage to Mick Wallace, an avid football fan.[2][4]
The background is a cross-section of the ruined St Luke's Church in the Coombe, with the dome of the Four Courts in the distance.[2][3]
ReceptionEdit
The Irish Times has suggested that Dublin's Last Supper "subtly suggests that the Renaissance has finally come to Ireland in the form of cafe culture, while at the same time pointing to growing pluralism in Ireland, and the new religion of consumerism."[6]
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 St. Martin, Marina (7 April 2012). "The Supper Club". The Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 2023-08-27 – via EBSCOHost.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 McNally, Frank (2015). "32 – Dublin's Last Supper – An Irish twist on an Italian classic". 111 places in Dublin that you shouldn't miss. Germany: Emons Verlag GmbH. p. 72. ISBN 978-3-95451-649-0.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Dublin's Last Supper". Publicart.ie. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Thomas, Cónal (10 February 2016). "Brushing up: that mural on Millennium Walk". Dublin InQuirer. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ↑ Buckley, Donal (1 April 2022). "Units in Wallace's 'Italian Quarter' sold off at discount: PROPERTY". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2023-08-27 – via ProQuest.
- ↑ Marshall, Catherine (22 November 2008). "Writing up Irish art – Catherine Marshall on John Byrne". Irish Times. Retrieved 2023-08-27 – via ProQuest.