The Last Supper

The Last Supper is a monumental study created by the Flemish Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) around 1613–1614. Executed in pen and brown ink, with brush and brown wash, this detailed drawing is heightened by touches of white opaque watercolor, allowing Rubens to articulate the dramatic interplay of light and shadow. The artist utilized traces of black chalk as an underlying framework, meticulously planning the complex arrangement of the figures around the central dining table. This drawing, housed in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, provides direct insight into the preparatory process for a large-scale commission, likely intended as either a painting or a tapestry design.

The sheet’s classification as a drawing is confirmed by the technical detail that it has been incised for transfer. This process indicates that the composition was physically scored onto another surface to be reproduced or scaled up, confirming its role as a crucial workshop model. This master drawing depicts the pivotal biblical narrative where Christ announces that one of his disciples will betray him. Rubens expertly employed dynamic Baroque movement and profound psychological intensity, contrasting the calm central figure with the agitated responses of the surrounding apostles. Such detailed studies were essential for the artist's prolific workshop in Antwerp, Belgium, ensuring compositional integrity across multiple media and facilitating the eventual production of widely circulated prints. Though the drawing itself is unique, studies like this often entered the public domain through reproduction, enabling wider access to Rubens’s famed compositions.