
Last Supper
2006, Krishen Khanna

An oil on canvas painting composed in the portrait mode showing a group of thirteen people gathered closely around a large, reddish-brown table. The posture and the expressions of the figures are drawnaround the table create a sombre mood to the painting. The figures, on counting thirteen in all are drawn in a stylized, almost abstract way manner, with exaggerated facial features and dramatic postures bordering on the grotesque. Their expressions range from sad to thoughtful to tense, and their faces are long. The brush strokes seem deliberately visibly done over the faces of most with , detailed with deep lines, shadows, and a textured brushwork giving the imagery of a people in grief.
They are dressed in flowing robes of different earthy colors—reds, purples, greens, yellows, and browns. The robes are painted in large, bold strokes that give them a heavy, folded look. The central figure at the top of the table has curly hair and a calm, thoughtful face, resting his chin on his hand, as if deep in thought or prayer or grieflistening quietly.
The composition shows the back of the head silhoute of three persons, right side profile of two in the foreground, sitting across the table are five persons all bearded, two of these on the right are dark skinned, one in the middle is pale yellow brown, as the one on the extreme left, while the one between the ese two are pinkish brown colour with prominent curly beard. Two persons on the left side of the table are in profile but the face of one farther away is barely seen except for a prominent nose, eyes and a a pointed beard, more Christ like.
Some figures lean in, others look away or toward one another, and one near the bottom left covers his face with both hands as if in grief or shame. One of the personright across and in the middle has his hands clenched in front of his face as in despair. Another gestures with his finger, pointing beside him. Their postures and interactions feel frozen in a moment of tension or conversation.
The background is a flat, muted green wall, with wide, dark wooden beams crossing the ceiling diagonally. There are no windows or other objects—just the figures, the table, and the background.
The whole table seems to have a glowof its own against the sombre greenish black background of the painting.
The artists seems to have captured a surreal imagery of the mural by Leonardo da Vinci’s last supper, with twelve disciples and Christ. Could also be imagined as a group of labourer’s despairing an empty dinner table.
The entire painting is surrounded by a dark frame with a fine silver trim.