Stefan Gates considers what paintings of the Last Supper can tell us about the relationship of food and Christian faith.

The controversial restoration of Leonardo’s masterpiece in 1997 has raised the possibility of identifying the food on the table in the painting. Stefan journeys to Milan to find the reasons Leonardo chose to paint what he did. Along the way he uncovers a long tradition of depictions of the Last Supper, giving an insight into the way Christian attitudes to food have changed.

Though Leonardo’s version is the most famous, other paintings of the Last Supper have offered unusual answers to the question ‘what would Jesus eat’, including crayfish, roast pork and even guinea pig, all decidedly un-kosher for what is commonly understood to have been a passover meal. Other paintings of the subject like that of Paolo Veronese attracted the attention of the Inquisition for the inclusion of ‘dwarves and drunkards’.

Stefan talks to historians of art and food and visits the Last Supper in Milan to find out more on what the paintings can tell us about the roots of our outlook on food.

Producer Russell Finch:
“I was far more impressed than I’d expected at seeing the Last Supper in its high tech atmospherically controlled setting in Milan. On the other hand, the Renaissance Italian food we tasted while there was a bit more of an effort to appreciate, basically a Spaghetti Bolagnese tart. Very strange.”

Broadcast on Easter Monday 11am  BBC Radio 4