English artist Robert Lenkiewicz painted The Last Supper in 2002, more than a year before the release of the Da Vinci Code on 18 March 2003. He passed away on 5 August without completing the project. As you can see, Judas Iscariot is the unfinished disciple. All twelve are present at the table, yet one disciple clearly stands out from the crowd. Unlike many, if not most portrayals of the Last Supper, the focus is less on Peter and the Beloved Disciple, and more on the woman sitting next to Judas. 

Robert forms part of a very old tradition of artists dating back well over a thousand years that chose to include a woman in the legendary scene. Roberts portrayal is by far the most obvious and clear cut of any Last Supper art I’ve ever seen. Was he inspired by the Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, or did he have access to forbidden esoteric knowledge? He was a keen collector of books on all things mystical, so perhaps his studies led him to Mary. 

He is said to have been inspired by a performance of the Sir Harrison Birthwistle opera, The Last Supper. Yet on closer scrutiny, the following names are listed as being part of the opera. Christ, Judas, Little James, James, Thomas, Andrew, Simon, Bartholomew, Philip, John, Thomas, Thaddeus, and Peter. No Mary or any other female names are mentioned.

May 02, 2025 10:36:29 pm