<b>THE LAST SUPPER</b> / Sadao Watanabe1983<b>SOLD</b></em>

Details

Sadao Watanabe dedicated his entire career to producing prints illustrating the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Though the subjects of his prints may be familiar, Watanabe utilized his unique talent of stencil production mixed with Japanese aesthetic sensibilities to create a new and compelling vision of these time-honored stories.

In this design, Watanabe provides the viewer with his version of the Last Supper. Such a subject recalls the masterful fresco by Leonardo da Vinci. Drawing upon the tradition da Vinci set forth, Watanabe’s scene is an interesting mix of Japanese and Western aesthetics. The composition is oriented in a traditional Japanese perspective that is not wholly realistic—the figures in the background sit at eye level with the viewer while the remaining portion of the composition is situated below the viewer’s plane of sight. It is as if the viewer’s position is slightly elevated from the composition. The elements of the dinner itself reveal additional Japanese influences, as the fish at the center of the table pays a close resemblance to Fugu or the Japanese pufferfish and the smaller course has a striking similarity to sushi rolls. The plates themselves are rendered in a mingei, or Japanese Folk art, style. The figure at the end of the table facing Jesus, presumably Judas, is the only disciple whose face is not on view and whose robe reveals a Japanese money bag design, suggesting the payment Judas received for the betrayal of Christ. This striking composition is set against a rich red background which may invoke the blood Christ shed only days from this event.

Connoisseur's Note

This design is one of Watanabe’s most successful large-scale stencil prints. This particular impression is made even more desirable by its pristine condition and vivid colors—a testament to its years of archival storage. It is quite rare to find large-scale work that has never been framed or displayed and has been spared the transgressions of improper framing and fading caused by years of exposure to sunlight. This print is as fresh as the day it was printed.