A Last Supper is a 2009 interpretation by British contemporary artist Lorna May Wadsworth of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper (1495-1498). What is striking about this painting was the depiction of Jesus Christ as a black man, represented by Jamaican-born fashion model, Tafari Hinds. I came across this painting, actually a high resolution print instead of the original oil on aluminium art piece while wandering inside St Albans Cathedral during a previous visit. Apparently, this fine art print was displayed in the Altar of the Persecuted in the North Transept since 2020 in support of the Black Lives Matter movement by the cathedral.
When asked to explain why she used a black man to portray Jesus Christ in her painting, Wadsworth explained:
Painting the Last Supper altarpiece made me really think about how we are accustomed to seeing Jesus portrayed. Experts agree he would most likely have had Middle Eastern features, yet for centuries European artists have traditionally painted Christ in their own image. I cast Tafari as my Jesus to make people question the Western myth that he had fair hair and blue eyes. My portrayal of him is just as ‘accurate’ as the received idea that he looked like a Florentine. I also knew that, from a previous portrait of Tafari, there is something in his countenance that people find deeply empathetic and moving, which is the overriding quality I wanted my Christ to embody. (Source: Lorna May Wadsworth)
According to the accompanying framed information beside the painting:
It hit the headlines in the summer of 2020 when the artist heard it had been shot while in situ behind the altar of a church in Gloucestershire. The damage occurred on Christ's right side, the same place a Roman soldier pierced the body of Jesus with his spear as he hung from the cross. (Gospel of St John 19.34)
I visited the cathedral city of St Albans in January 2022 when I had a few hours to spare while waiting for my wife attending her lessons from the nearby university in Hatfield. The city is just a 15-minute drive from Hatfield, which is an hour and 15 minutes drive from my city of Peterborough. I decided to just visit two famous places in the city that are close to each other - St Albans Cathedral and the ruins of the Roman Theatre of Verulamium.
All photos were taken with a micro four thirds camera (https://amzn.to/2Qjtg8h) attached with a telephoto zoom lens (https://amzn.to/32TeGWA).
