Jesus' Last Supper is a classic and often depicted event. First, the artist uses emphasis in this piece. Jesus is depicted in the center of the panel, with an overbearing halo above his head. The viewer's eye is immediately drawn to this focal point. Using emphasis to highlight the importance of Jesus not only allows the viewer to immediately know who this piece is about, but it also allows the viewer to see his humble importance in a visual way. This work was created in a time of vigorous Christianity, so the artist clearly wanted to depict Jesus in a matter where he was important and pure, accomplished through the use of the halo. Jesus is also the only one looking directly at the viewer, increasing the sense of emphasis since everyone else in this piece appears to be distracted. This use of emphasis through positioning and a halo is also used in The Last Supper, by Dagnan-Bouveret, as well as in the numerous pieces depicting this event. This creates the feeling that only Jesus knows the truth and only he can communicate it to the viewer. Furthermore, the artist also uses balance, as although Jesus is the central point of this piece, everything to his right and left remains in relative harmony. While the balance isn't exactly symmetrical, there still remains a sense of unity. This emphasizes the idea that although Jesus is the head of the table and the most important, he brings unity to everyone around him. Even in the discordance of the Last Supper, Jesus creates a sense of
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