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The Last Supper and the Tête à Tête

Introduction

The two works of art have a very strong message to anyone who looks at them with a deeper understanding and admiration of the beauty of art. Even though the theme of betrayal might not come immediately to a person’s mind this is the theme which is represented by these two works of art i.e. Marriage A-la-Mode: The Tête à Tête and the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. In the Tete, a tete the marriage looks sour as the two partners are not much interested in each other and it is an early sign that there will be betrayal in the marriage. In the last super a person can’t see betrayal at first sight; however, it is there whereby Judas is at the table with Jesus and on that same night he betrays him for the sake of money.

Therefore these two works depict a very good work of art and how creativity can be used to show how the world is a good place, show how art can be used to express the deep-seated emotions and feelings in such a creative manner that a person can still look at a work of art after so long and they still admire how it was done. This paper, therefore, analyses the two works of art i.e. Marriage A-la-Mode: The Tête à Tête and the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, identifies their similar theme, describes and analyses the two works of art with inclusion of their historical and cultural background.

Marriage A-la-Mode: 2. The Tête à Tête

In this work of art, there is a marriage feast that has just happened but the bridegroom and the bride seem so far from the place. They are no interested in each other. This is a shocking event as married life is one of the most anticipated for life and it is always met with joy and a lot of gladness. However, on the opposite in this work of art, joy and peace are not displayed. The husband looks tired and bored. This is either an indication of partying so much or just being bored because he has been united with the woman he does not like. The dog smells something in the man’s pocket and this looks like a lady’s nightcap. The man also has a patch on his neck which is translated to mean that he has a sexually transmitted disease. In the first series of paintings the man already has the patch before his wedding.

The sword which lies by the husband undrawn and broken may be a sign that he is impotent (Olding, 193). The lady does not look as bored as the husband and she plays with cards. She sits with her legs wide open. She has a damp patch on the front of her skirt which is placed strategically. Therefore there is a very clear indication of the contrast between the unsatisfied impotent husband and the peaceful wife who just had adulterous sex (Olding, 192)

The steward is dressed like a pious Methodist and has a book by the name re-generation in his pocket. His expression indicates that he is a spendthrift. The carpet is cut and rolled back. This is an indication that there is a lack of planning and foresight.

This work of art has many different meanings engraved into one and this shows how smart the artist was when he made this work of art. It is in the same manner that the last supper has been presented in a very clear and thoughtful manner. Leonardo da Vinci presents the last super in a very vividly drawn manner to show betrayal as well as the last supper Jesus had with his disciples. The work of art is at the center of betrayal because it is drawn at the time when the disciples are reacting to the information Jesus had just passed that one of them would betray him. Therefore they were all amused and were expressing their amusement.

The Last Supper by Leonardo

When Jesus says that one of them would betray him, three disciples are Bartholomew, Andrew, and James from a group, and they are surprised by that announcement. John, Peter, and Judas Iscariot also form a group of three. Even though they are in a group of three Judas is taken back by that information Jesus passes and he realizes that Jesus already knows about his plan to betray him. In this instance, the theme of betrayal is brought out. Philip, Thomas, and James are the other group of three while the last group of three are Mathew, Jude, and Simon.

Therefore the two works are similar in that their content is almost similar. They talk of a situation whereby one of the people is feeling bad about themselves after getting some information. In the case of the last supper, it is Judas Iscariot while in the Marriage A-la-Mode: The Tête à Tête it is the bridegroom who feels awful about him not being able to satisfy his wife and therefore the wife has sex with another person and she is happy. Therefore in both instances, the two works of art are similar to a great deal.

The cultural background of the two works however is somehow different. The last super work of art is found within the renaissance period and this tells us why it was painted (Ladwein, 09). It was painted as part of the renovations to the church and the convent buildings. The marriage A-la-Mode: 2. The Tête à Tête can be placed within the impressionism period. This is because this work of art mainly wants to capture the emotions of that day rather than anything else majorly. This is perfectly done through various methods of presentation of the work of art.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the painting of Jesus having the last supper with his disciples can be said to be a more accurate representation of the subject matter which is betrayal. Even though the bride in the marriage work of art betrays the bridegroom by sleeping with another man (Cowley, 45) the story of Jesus carries more weight and it is even unbelievable that a close friend would betray his close friend. This irony brings out the concept of betrayal more clearly.

Works cited

Cowley, Robert LS. Marriage A-la-mode: A Re-view of Hogarth’s Narrative Art. Manchester University Press, 1983.Edwin, Michael. Leonardo Da Vinci, the Last Supper: a cosmic drama and an act of redemption. Temple Lodge Publishing, 2006.Olding, Madeleine Noelle, and Jane Moore. “Society, sexuality, and medicine in Hogarth’s Marriage A-la-Mode.” British Journal of General Practice 69.681 (2019): 192-193.

Wasserman, Jack. “Reflections on the Last Supper of Leonardo da Vinci.” Arte Lombarda (1983): 15-34.