The Institution of the Lord’s Supper
23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. [1 Cor 11:23-26, NRSV]
The Last Supper is one of the most iconic biblical scenes which Christians commemorate in an unbroken tradition for two millennia. This tradition of the Lord’s final meal with his disciples in Jerusalem before his crucifixion is well captured in the Pauline language “I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you”. It is a sacred tradition which the Catholics celebrate on Holy Thursday in their Eucharistic Liturgy. Other Christian denominations call it “(Holy) Communion” or “The Lord’s Supper”.
The Last Supper has been a popular subject in Christian art and, by the time of the Renaissance, had become the favorite topic in Italian art. The most famous piece is without doubt Leonardo da Vinci‘s The Last Supper, which is considered the first work of High Renaissance art, due to its high level of harmony. Da Vinci’s depiction, dated to c.1495-1498, is a fresco on the refectory wall of the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy. It has since inspired countless artistic representations of the biblical event.
In 1938, when China was undergoing significant socio-political changes, a Chinese artist named Chen Yuandu painted The Last Supper. Housed at the Catholic University of Peiping, Chen’s work offers a unique cultural interpretation of this iconic biblical scene. It is considered a masterpiece in bridging two worlds – the world of Western religious themes on the one hand, and the world of traditional Chinese artistic styles on the other. It stands as “a testament to the global reach and local adaptations of Christian iconography”, a “fascinating fusion of Christian and Chinese artistic traditions”. [1]
The viewer may at once find the scene recognizable as The Last Supper. And yet, while it feels familiar, it is at the same time foreign. The root of this sensation lies in Chen reimagining Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic work by blending both Western religious themes with distinctly Chinese aesthetics. Chen was telling a foreign story in a familiar Chinese visual language. A devout Catholic, influenced religiously and perhaps even theologically by the Jesuits, Chen took it as a mission to make Christianity more accessible to the Chinese people.
Christian viewers approaching Chen’s artistic representation, like any others, do so with an expectation of not only seeing symbols of betrayal, sacrifice and redemption, but also a recollection of Jesus’ command: “Do this in remembrance of me” (see Mk 14:22-24; Mt 26:26-28; Lk 22:19-20). Chen, however, offers a fascinating transformation. In his stunning piece, the following features, among others, appear:
- Unlike Da Vinci who arranges the thirteen figures all seated in one row facing the audience and all (agitated) attention is drawn to Jesus who occupies the central space, Chen’s thirteen figures are crowded round a square table. Abandoning Da Vinci’s use of linear perspective to draw the viewer’s eye to Jesus, Chen preserves Jesus’s central position around the table, who alone has a halo. Keeping the space directly in front of Jesus free to prevent blockage, the attention of the viewer naturally follows the gaze of the disciples, and is irresistibly drawn to him who alone is the Christ.
- Chen produces a Chinese face of Christ.
- The disciples, too, are no longer European, but depicted with distinctly Asian features. They appear Chinese, dressed in flowing robes reminiscent of the Ming Dynasty. They wear slippers (flip-flops), suggesting a summer weather perhaps.
- In place of glasses of wine and plenty of bread on the table, we see two empty plates, two Chinese buns in a third plate and Jesus holding and blessing a third bun. Significantly as well, there is a heavy-looking greenish-blue cup (the Holy Grail?). This meager meal, which does not include any meat, contrasts ironically against the background which, with high ceiling, scroll windows and bamboo gardens, clearly suggests the setting is a wealthy family’s dining room. Is this “lack” of food and drinks meant to point to the future hard life of the disciples – a life of suffering that includes occasional starvation?
- Beyond and behind its technical brilliance, what makes this Chinese Last Supper remarkable is a strong element of “cultural audacity” at play. “It takes a sacred Christian narrative and reimagines it in a context that feels authentically Chinese. This is not mere imitation or appropriation; it’s a dialogue between two worlds”. It’s an expert use of a visual language that resonates with Chinese traditions, to communicate universal themes of loyalty, betrayal, and sacrifice. The expressions from the disciples convey a range of emotions that show them perplexed and anxious.
When the Chinese Last Supper was unveiled at that time in China, it was a triumph in helping to spread Christianity in a familiar Chinese visual language. But it also sparked controversy. Criticisms included his adoption of foreign techniques, and doubts against his faithfulness to the Christian narrative in such a reinterpretation. These criticisms would cause him untold hardship and finally his tragic end.
- “During the cultural revolution in the 1970s, religious expression and foreign influences were harshly suppressed. Creating religious artwork such as depictions of Western angels or spiritual themes was deemed a serious offense. Under relentless criticism and persecution, Chen tragically took his own life in 1967 at the age of 66, leaving behind a legacy of artistic brilliance and cultural courage.”
- “Despite the challenges, Chen remained steadfast in his vision. For him, the Chinese Last Supper and his other religious works were not about loyalty to one culture or faith; they were about exploring universal truths that connected them. His Art became a symbol of the rich cultural exchange that defined his era, proving that creativity could be both local and global, traditional and innovative.”
Today, the Chinese Last Supper has stood the test of time. With his brilliance and through perseverance, “Chen not only redefined what art could be, but also reminded us of its ultimate purpose to connect, to inspire, and to tell the stories that echo the faith and grace at the heart of Christianity.”
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End Notes:
[1] This post draws from, among others, “The Chinese Last Supper You’ve Never Seen — Where Did All the Bread Go?! – YouTube”, by Master of Art, accessed on 31/12/2024.
Copyright © Dr. Jeffrey & Angie Goh, May 2025. All rights reserved.
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