Historian debunks Paris Olympics act, 'not Last Supper but Greek Gods celebrating Olympics': See similarities
Paris Olympics performance not meant to mock religion. Historian challenges claims of Last Supper depiction at opening ceremony.
A historian has called into question the widely circulated claim that a controversial performance during the Paris Olympics opening ceremony was actually a modern take on Leonardo da Vinci's famous "Last Supper." Pushing back against this idea, the expert thinks the depiction was actually a less traditional show about Olympic gods, challenging the initial uproar caused by the performance.
The original explanation, translated by a Twitter user, is gaining attention now that the accusation of insulting Christians has exploded, with leaders like Elon Musk and Donald Trump slamming the organisers.
Was it really the Last Supper act, experts don’t think so
During one of the acts, a scene featured a dinner platter revealing a mostly nude Katerine singing in French, with dancers and drag queens around her. The setup went from just a still picture with performers and a fancy headdress to a lively fashion show, highlighting Paris' style scene.
Now, Auke Hoekstra, a social media user who roughly translated the original post by Dutch historian Walther Schoonenberg, claims it was never the ‘Last Supper’ but rather a depiction of “heathen gods gathered on Mount Olympus for a feast. Sun god Apollo is recognizable by his halo, Bacchus (Dionysus) by the grapes, Neptune (Poseidon) by his trident, Diana (Artemis) by the moon, and Venus (Aphrodite) by Cupid.”
Hoekstra believes the Olympic organisers may have been misled into apologising for a depiction of the Last Supper. Even though they said they were sorry for causing a fuss, Hoekstra believes the picture was meant to show Olympic gods having a meal, not a religious scene and that the director was very clear in his head regarding the concept which was never to depict any perceived ‘mockery.’
The Feast of the Gods by Jan van Bijlert Vs The Last Supper
As per the historian, the act depicted during the ceremony shows that the "tableau vivant" (living painting) is based on "The Feast of the Gods" by Jan van Bijlert from 1635, which features “Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, and Mars, the god of war, alongside Venus, the goddess of love, who is known for her well-known relationships.”
However, he acknowledged that there are definitely some resemblances because the whole concept was apparently inspired by the Last Supper, created in 1495.
“All in all, this depiction of Bijlerts piece of art seems fitting, since its about the gathering of the Greek gods on mount Olympus and this is where the Olympic games originate,” the expert added.
Thomas Jolly defends his artwork
After the severe backlash, which caused a massive uproar in the U.S. and led to reports suggesting few sponsors pulling their ads, artistic director Thomas Jolly apologised and said that it was never the intention. He emphasised that the act was not meant to “be subversive, or shock people, or mock people.” He clarified that the act was not a reimagining of the Last Supper.
“It is Dionysus who arrives at the table,” Mr. Jolly said in a French tv interview. “The idea was instead to have a grand pagan festival connected to the gods of Olympus, Olympism,” he added.