Description
This important drawing is one of a group of preparatory designs for a Roman Catholic prayer book (the Breviarium Romanum) that was reissued in 1614 under the new parameters of Counter-Reformation liturgy. This scene, in which Peter Paul Rubens placed the figure of Judas—instead of Christ—as center-most in the composition, preceded prayers celebrating the feast of Corpus Christi. The layered used of media and precise placement of compositional elements reflect Rubens’s intense desire to control the printed versions of his designs.
Provenance
Gosuinus Uilenbrock (1658–1740), Amsterdam; sold, Amsterdam, Oct. 23, 1741, one of eleven in Album Q, to Yver. Gabriel Huquier the Elder (1695–1772), Paris; sold, Amsterdam, Sept. 14 (and following days), 1761, Album E, lot 554. Gerardus Schroder, Hardervijk; sold, Amsterdam, Feb. 20 (and following days), 1764, lot 210, to Yver. Maximilian-Léopold-Ghislain de Mérode-Montfort, Prince de Rubempré et d'Everberghe (1710–1773), Brussels; sold, Paris, July 1–6, 1765, lot 253, to Basan. M. Tournier; sold, Paris, Apr. 14 (and following days), 1773, lot 191. Johann Goll van Franckenstein (1722–1785), Amsterdam [inscription (Lugt 2987), verso of mount, lower left, in brown]; presumably by descent to his son Pieter Hendrick Goll van Franckenstein, Amsterdam. E. J. Reynolds (1876–c. 1932), St. Petersburg and Switzerland [Lugt 900b]. C. G. Boerner, Düsseldorf, by 1969. Prof. Peter Kröker, Murnau, by 1974. Private collection, New York, by 1991; sold, Sotheby's, London, July 11, 2001, lot 80. Sold by C. G. Boerner, New York, to Richard and Mary L. Gray and the Gray Collection Trust, Chicago, Feb. 22, 2002 (promised to the Art Institute of Chicago, 2018); given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 2022.
Accession Number
202252
Medium
Pen and brown ink, with brush and brown wash, heightened with touches of white opaque watercolor, over traces of black chalk, on cream laid paper, incised for transfer
Dimensions
30.2 × 19.7 cm (11 15/16 × 7 13/16 in.)
Classification
drawings (visual works)
Credit Line
Gift of Richard and Mary L. Gray
Background & Context
Background Story
This drawing of "The Last Supper" from late 1613 or early 1614 is one of Rubens's most important preparatory studies for printmaking, executed in pen and brown ink with brush and brown wash, heightened with white opaque watercolor over traces of black chalk on cream laid paper, and incised for transfer to the copper plate. The composition shows Christ and the apostles at the moment of institution, the figures arranged in a dynamic grouping that captures the psychological drama of the biblical narrative while maintaining the compositional clarity necessary for reproduction. The technique of incising—scratching through the paper to create a guide for the engraver—demonstrates Rubens's involvement in the printmaking process: he did not merely provide drawings to professional engravers but controlled the translation of his images into print with the same attention that he brought to his paintings. The brown ink and wash create a tonal range that anticipates the effects of the engraved plate, while the white heightening suggests the highlights that the engraver would translate into the un-inked areas of the print. The cream laid paper provides a warm middle tone that makes the drawing feel finished rather than merely preparatory. Art historians have connected this study to the broader tradition of reproductive printmaking in the Baroque period, when artists like Rubens and van Dyck used prints to disseminate their images across Europe and establish international reputations. The subject of the Last Supper was particularly suited to this purpose: it was universally recognized, theologically significant, and emotionally compelling, making it an ideal vehicle for the artist's ambition to reach a wide audience. The drawing also demonstrates Rubens's mastery of narrative composition: the arrangement of the figures creates a visual rhythm that leads the eye from Christ at the center to the individual reactions of the apostles, each one a distinct psychological portrait within the unified group.
Cultural Impact
This 1613–14 incised preparatory drawing controlled reproductive printmaking translation, using brown-ink wash and white heightening to make Last Supper narrative rhythm reproducible across Baroque Europe.
Why It Matters
It matters because Rubens drew a dinner that changed history and scratched it so others could copy—proving that even the most sacred meal could be shared if the lines were clear enough.
