The Last Supper

Art Historical Context

Visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department will delight in *The Last Supper*, a delicate etching on laid paper created by Jean Honor Fragonard around 1761–64, after an original composition by the Venetian Baroque master Sebastiano Ricci. Measuring just 5 1/8 x 7 3/16 inches, this intimate print captures the iconic biblical scene of Christ and his apostles at their final meal, rendered with fine lines that evoke Ricci's dramatic, theatrical style. Fragonard, a leading Rococo artist known for playful, elegant scenes, here pays homage to Ricci's earlier Baroque exuberance, blending reverence with 18th-century refinement. Etching, Fragonard's chosen medium, involves incising designs into a copper plate with acid, allowing for intricate details and tonal effects through varied line depths—perfect for reproducing Ricci's dynamic groupings of men in expressive poses. Prints like this were vital in the 18th century, democratizing access to prestigious paintings and fostering artistic dialogue across generations and regions. Laid paper, with its textured chains and wires, adds a tactile authenticity to the work. Bequeathed by Phyllis Massar in 2011, this gem highlights the enduring cultural resonance of the Last Supper motif, symbolizing sacrifice, fellowship, and faith. It invites us to ponder how artists like Fragonard bridged Baroque grandeur and Rococo lightness, making sacred history feel vividly close.

About the Artist

Jean Honoré Fragonard|Sebastiano Ricci · 1732–1806

Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806) was a French painter and printmaker whose late Rococo manner was distinguished by remarkable facility, exuberance, and hedonism. Born in Grasse, he moved to Paris where he trained under Jean-Baptiste Chardin and François Boucher, winning the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1752. After studying in Italy alongside Hubert Robert, Fragonard returned to Paris in 1761 to fi...