Monday, February 11, 2013

Andy Warhol - Last Supper (Pink)

Last fall I was up in Amsterdam where I was walking past De Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), which is a venue that is known to host many exhibitions and special events.  This large hall is very impressive both inside and out.  Since Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands (and despite the government being run from The Hague), many official ceremonies take place in Amsterdam's De Nieuwe Kerk.  Queen Beatrix's coronation took place in this hall back in 1980 and soon, on April 30th, this will be where the Queen abdicates her thrown to her son - Prince Willem-Alexander.

As I was walking past this venue, I couldn't help but to notice several people strolling into and out of its entrance.  I had some time and so I decided to follow suit.

Inside was a temporary art exhibition showcasing Andy Warhol's series of paintings titled 'The Last Supper'.  This was on loan from The Andy Warhol Museum, located in his native city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Warhol was born in 1928 and he died in 1987 after becoming a famous leader of pop art.

Many of us are quite familiar with his famous Campbell's Soup Can paintings, along with other masterpieces of his.  However, it was in his final years that he completed a series of paintings about Christ's Last Supper with his disciples.  Warhol had been commissioned to create The Last Supper series for an inauguration of a new gallery in Milan, Italy.

The Last Supper (in pink) was just one of the many paintings in this series and it hadn't been brought to Europe since back in 1987.  The painting is huge, as it is well over 7 yards across. 

I did receive permission to take some photos inside the De Nieuwe Kerk; however, I was told not to take any photos directly next to the actual painting.

All of the photos below are mine with the exception of the last photo.  This photo was downloaded from the internet by me, so that you could experience seeing this incredible masterpiece.  Of course you can always travel to Pittsburgh and experience this in person at The Andy Warhol Museum where it permanently resides. 

Enjoy!








 
For upcoming exhibits at De Nieuwe Kerk:  Click here...  http://www.nieuwekerk.nl/en/