The Sacrament of the Last Supper
Encyclopedia
Completed in 1955 after nine months of work, Salvador Dalí
’s painting The Sacrament of the Last Supper has remained one of his most popular compositions. Since its arrival at the National Gallery of Art
in Washington, D.C.
in 1955, it replaced Renoir
's A Girl with a Watering Can
as the most popular piece in the museum.
The combination of a classic Christian
theme with the jarring techniques of Surrealism
captures the eye, as Dali was able to do repeatedly with such works as The Temptation of St. Anthony
, Christ of Saint John of the Cross
, Crucifixion or Corpus Hypercubus
, The Madonna of Port Lligat
, Nuclear cross, and The Ecumenical Council
, among others. The composition was laid out using the Golden Ratio
.
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
’s painting The Sacrament of the Last Supper has remained one of his most popular compositions. Since its arrival at the National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1955, it replaced Renoir
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty, and especially feminine sensuality, it has been said that "Renoir is the final representative of a tradition which runs directly from Rubens to...
's A Girl with a Watering Can
A Girl with a Watering Can
A Girl with a Watering Can is an Impressionist painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir from 1876. The work was apparently painted in Monet's famous garden at Argenteuil. This painting is of Mademoiselle Leclere in her blue dress.-External links:*...
as the most popular piece in the museum.
The combination of a classic Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
theme with the jarring techniques of Surrealism
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
captures the eye, as Dali was able to do repeatedly with such works as The Temptation of St. Anthony
The Temptation of St. Anthony
The temptation of St. Anthony is an often-repeated subject in history of art and literature, concerning the supernatural temptation reportedly faced by Saint Anthony the Great during his sojourn in the Egyptian desert...
, Christ of Saint John of the Cross
Christ of Saint John of the Cross
Christ of Saint John of the Cross is a painting by Salvador Dalí made in 1951. It depicts Jesus Christ on the cross in a darkened sky floating over a body of water complete with a boat and fishermen...
, Crucifixion or Corpus Hypercubus
Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubus)
Crucifixion was painted in 1954 by Salvador Dalí, and depicts the crucified Jesus upon the net of a hypercube. Gala , is the figure in the bottom left, who stands looking up to the crucified Jesus. The scene is depicted in front of the bay of Port Lligat.The painting is in the Metropolitan Museum...
, The Madonna of Port Lligat
The Madonna of Port Lligat
The Madonna of Port Lligat is the name of three paintings by Salvador Dalí. The first was created in 1949, measuring 49 x 37.5 centimetres , and is housed in the Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dali submitted it to Pope Pius XII for approval, which was granted...
, Nuclear cross, and The Ecumenical Council
The Ecumenical Council (painting)
The Ecumenical Council is a surrealist painting by Spanish artist Salvador Dalí completed in 1960. It is one of his masterpieces, taking two years to complete and very large at...
, among others. The composition was laid out using the Golden Ratio
Golden ratio
In mathematics and the arts, two quantities are in the golden ratio if the ratio of the sum of the quantities to the larger quantity is equal to the ratio of the larger quantity to the smaller one. The golden ratio is an irrational mathematical constant, approximately 1.61803398874989...
.
See also
- Last Supper in Christian artLast Supper in Christian artThe Last Supper of Jesus and the Twelve Apostles has been a popular subject in Christian art, often as part of a cycle showing the Life of Christ. Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art date back to early Christianity and can be seen in the Catacombs of Rome.The Last Supper was depicted...
- image at Dali Gallery
