Günter Ludwig: An alternative Ultima Cena
In 2016 German artist Gunter Ludwig created a large-scale 220 x 110 cm painting under the title “Ultima Cena,” which provides an alternative depiction of the most popular subject in Christian art.
Ludwig denounces the stereotypical composition and interpretation of the theme as depicted by great masters through the centuries. He is also far from attempting to reproduce a typical religious scene where “handsome, beautiful men sit loosely around a table and try with predominantly relaxed expressions to clarify the question of which of them is the traitor of the Messiah” during their final meal before the crucifixion.
In his painting, Ludwig arranges the scene in a triangle. The Holy Cross in the center represents Christ as the symbol of his imminent sacrifice for human redemption. At the base of the triangle is the table with the disciplines. One has his eyes towards the sky, begging for salvation. Most sit around the table while others lie under it as if they have given up any hope.
The right side of the cross extends toward the light standing for the hope that comes out of the sacrifice of Jesus, while the darkness on the opposite side brings us back to reality as if light and darkness compete with each other. The elongated, distorted bodies and faces of his human figures morph into abstract shapes hinting at pain, despair, and agony. This group picture is nothing less than a core scene of the Christian religion, which has tragedy in uncovering evil and ill will that lurks in every attempt for salvation.
For Ludwig, the “disturbing, cozy, and noble scenario of an almost romantic evening backdrop” by the great masters is “a violent provocation” for the modern world as a bad theatrical performance for the audience.
Ludwig sees the light sky as the promise of a better world, while darkness is the everyday reality around us as poverty, wars, persecution, and murders. He doesn’t attempt to convey a sense of unity and harmony in the scene. Instead, he chooses tension and contradiction. The combination of drawing with Chinese ink and reed pen of the primary theme with the washy brush strokes for the background produces contradictions in color tensity and line contours.
Throughout his career as an artist, Gunter Ludwig frequently challenged stereotypes and experimented with different techniques such as painting, engraving, printing, and photography individually and in combination.
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Photos: curtesy the artist/ © Günter Ludwig
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