London, National Gallery acquires an important Last Supper by Nicolas Poussin painted in Italy

Just in time for Easter, the National Gallery in London has announced the acquisition of a painting ... in keeping with the period: it is theLast Supper by Nicolas Poussin (Les Andelys, 1594 - Rome, 1664), the first acquisition in the British museum’s bicentennial year (to be celebrated on May 10) and the fifteenth work by Poussin in the Gallery’s collection. The work, dating from around 1637-1640, has been on view to the London public since last March 22, in Room 31. The work, also known as Eucharasia, is part of Poussin’s groundbreaking Seven Sacraments cycle.

The painting was acquired through the institution of acceptance in lieu, the rule that grants British citizens the ability to surrender objects to the state instead of paying the equivalent fee in taxes. In this case it was a so-called “hybrid” exchange, which occurs when the amount of tax that can be settled through the acceptance of a work exceeds the size of the bidder’s tax liability. In this scenario, the recipient administration will raise the funds to settle the difference to the bidder. The work was owned by the Duke of Rutland and had been notified by the British government: therefore, it could not leave national borders. It was purchased thanks to the support provided by the bequest of two citizens, Martha Doris and Richard Hillman Bailey.

As anticipated, the painting is part of a cycle of seven scenes dedicated to the Catholic sacraments that Poussin painted in the second half of the 1730s for his friend and patron, the Roman antiquarian Cassiano dal Pozzo (Turin, 1588-Rome, 1657): Baptism, Penance, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders and Extreme Unction. The sacraments are Christian rites through which divine grace is communicated to human beings, and Poussin illustrated them with biblical and evangelical images. The series was brought to Britain in 1785, where Sir Joshua Reynolds, founding president of the Royal Academy, declared that “the Poussins are a true national object.” The series was so successful that a second series of sacraments was commissioned from Poussin in the late 1740s by French collector Paul Fréart de Chantelou (1609-1694). The second series is on loan to the National Galleries of Scotland.

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Six paintings remain from the first Sacrament series: the Penance was destroyed by fire in 1816. Baptism was acquired by the National Gallery of Art in Washington in 1939,Holy Orders by the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth in 2011, andExtreme Unction by the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge in 2013. An export license was issued in January 2023 for the Confirmation, which was sold abroad. TheEucharist and Marriage remained in the collection of the trustees of the Duke of Rutland’s estates.

Poussin depicts the sacrament of the Eucharist with a depiction of theLast Supper. In the center of the symmetrical composition is Christ holding the bread and wine cup in one hand and raising the other in blessing. He is seated in a Roman “triclinium,” an upholstered couch whose cushions Poussin has decorated with a delicate pattern. On either side are six disciples. On the far left, a shadowy figure retreats through an open doorway, creating a sense of movement in an otherwise still scene. Judas is probably the second figure from the left, the only disciple who does not address Christ.

The most striking feature of this painting is the dramatic use of light, which comes from three sources: the two flames of the double-wick lamp above Christ’s head and the candle on the stool in the center left foreground. With these multiple sources of light, Poussin sets in motion a complex play of shadow projections, with elements casting two or even three shadows. TheEucharist was executed with Poussin’s characteristic precision. In the lunette above Christ’s head, a punctiform hole is easily discernible, used by the artist to trace the perspective of the painting. In the foreground, the grid of floor tiles was rigorously designed and may suggest the use of Poussin’s grande machine (a large box, similar to a small theater, in which Poussin placed wax figurines to devise and stage his compositions). Near the right stool we can see the spot where Poussin scraped off the paint with the end of his brush. Although the painting is not minutely detailed, the blocks of light and shadow in the figures, particularly the faces and feet of the disciples on the right, give a vivid sense of how he worked out his composition. Poussin paid close attention to the rhythm of the disciples’ hands across the image, many of whom are raised to receive Christ’s blessing.

On loan to the National Gallery and displayed next to theEucharist is the Marriage from the same series. Poussin illustrates the sacrament of marriage by showing the engagement of the Virgin Mary to Joseph. Poussin depicts Joseph placing the ring on the Virgin’s finger while still holding the flowering rod that had distinguished him from other men as the most suitable suitor for Mary.

“The National Gallery,” says Francesca Whitlum Cooper, curator of the museum’s Italian, Spanish and French painting section, "has one of the largest collections of Poussin paintings in the world. Our collection is comprehensive and includes early and late works, classical mythologies, landscapes, and religious scenes. So far we have not been able to show any of the Seven Sacraments, the most important commission of Poussin’s career. The acquisition of theEucharist not only broadens and deepens our representation of Poussin: it also means that one of the most beautiful and important paintings in the Western canon series now hangs on our walls."

Gabriele Finaldi, director of the National Gallery, says that "Poussin’sEucharist is an impressive and austere masterpiece. It is the first of the National Gallery’s bicentennial acquisitions, and we are grateful to Her Majesty’s Government, the Acceptance in Lieu Committee at the Arts Council, and the generosity of the estate of Mrs. Martha Doris Bailey, for allowing the painting to become part of the national collection."

Michael Clarke, chair of the Acceptance in Lieu committee, says, "I am delighted that Nicolas Poussin’sEucharist has been acquired by the National Gallery through the Acceptance in Lieu program as part of a museum-funded hybrid agreement. It comes from one of the most important groups of paintings in the history of Western art, the Seven Sacraments series that Poussin painted around 1638-42 for his principal patron, the scholar and collector Cassiano dal Pozzo. The sacraments are the religious mysteries of the Christian Church. In this case, the Eucharist is illustrated by the biblical episode of the Last Supper that Christ shared with his twelve disciples. The painting will greatly enhance the National Gallery’s important holdings of Poussin’s works, and I hope this example will encourage others to use the project and continue to support our national collections."

The Minister of Arts and Heritage, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, says, "This acquisition of Poussin’sEucharist is doubly timely, not only as the National Gallery begins to celebrate its Bicentennial, but as millions of people around the world prepare to celebrate the sacrament depicted in during Easter Holy Week. As the National Gallery approaches its 200th birthday, it continues to provide the public with world-class, life-changing cultural experiences supported by vital programs like Acceptance in Lieu-I hope this shining example will help attract more visitors to the museum and encourage more institutions to take advantage of the program."

Nicolas Poussin is one of the most important French painters before Manet and the Impressionists. Originally from Normandy, Poussin undertook art training in Paris but quickly fixed his eyes on Italy. He reached Rome (on his third attempt) in 1624 and, except for a reluctant return to Paris as painter to King Louis XIII in 1640-42, remained in the Eternal City for the rest of his life. Poussin avoided the large altarpieces and religious commissions that attracted so many of his contemporaries to Rome. Instead, he made smaller gallery paintings-historical paintings, religious scenes, and, beginning in 1640, landscapes-for a select group of collectors and connoisseurs. He was deeply interested in the classical world, drawing inspiration from both ancient sculpture and the masterpieces of artists such as Raphael and Titian that were accessible to him in Rome. His paintings are known for their meticulous execution and erudition, often drawing on classical sources.

London, National Gallery acquires an important Last Supper by Nicolas Poussin painted in Italy

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