Cathedral’s ‘Last Supper’ shows Jesus as black

A painting of The Last Supper that depicts Jesus as a black man is to be installed above the altar of St Albans Cathedral in England.

The Very Reverend Dr Jeffrey John, the dean, agreed to install the 4m artwork following pressure from Black Lives Matter activists.

The dean conceded that the Church of England was not in a strong position to preach about racial justice.

“Our faith teaches that we are all made equally in the image of God, and that God is of justice,” he said. “Black lives matter, so this is why we have turned our Altar of the Persecuted into a space for reflection and prayer with [the artwork] at the heart.”

The 2009 painting, titled A Last Supper, is a reworking of Leonardo da Vinci’s 15th century mural and casts a Jamaican-born model, Tafari Hinds, as Jesus Christ.

The artwork by Lorna May Wadsworth made headlines last year when it was damaged by a shot fired from a pellet gun while it was hanging on the wall of a Cotswolds church.

“Painting the Last Supper altarpiece made me really think about how we are accustomed to seeing Jesus portrayed,” Wadsworth said.

Experts agree he would most probably have had Middle Eastern features, yet for centuries European artists have traditionally painted Christ in their own image.

“I cast Tafari Hinds as my Jesus to make people question the Western myth that he had fair hair and blue eyes.”

The move comes a week after the Church of England’s most senior figure, the Archbishop of Canterbury, called for a “rethink” regarding the portrayal of Jesus as white.

Officials at Canterbury Cathedral are also understood to be reviewing its range of depictions of Jesus Christ as well as other monuments which may have connections to controversial historical figures.