Saint-Denis, France, 1759 – Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, 1843
After Jean Restout (1692-1768)
The Last Supper
Oil on canvas
98 x 80 cm
Gift of Mario Brodeur in honour of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts' 150th anniversary, inv. 2013.4
Quebec and Canadian Art
Dulongpré’s large copy of the Last Supper after Jean Restout at the church of Notre-Dame, Montreal, has long been known. It was commissioned about 1811-1812 for the church of Saint-Martin on Île Jésus. The copy of the Notre-Dame Last Supper exhibited here has the same dimensions as its model, which is unusual for this artist. Yet, the brushwork and signature revealed by recent restoration clearly support the attribution to Dulongpré. This work shows how the paintings imported by the Sulpicians of Montreal served as examples for artists before the arrival in Quebec City of the European works in the Desjardins collection in 1817 and 1820.