The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist

The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist belongs to Poussin's second series of the Seven Sacraments, painted between 1644 and 1648 for his most devoted patron, Paul Fréart de Chantelou. Unlike the first series made for Cassiano dal Pozzo, this set was executed with a more refined archaeological precision — Poussin depicted the Last Supper as a Roman triclinium, with reclining figures on couches rather than the traditional table arrangement. The series is considered the summit of his intellectual and pictorial ambitions, rendering sacred events as if recovered from antiquity.

The composition is arranged in a shallow frieze across a dimly lit Roman interior. Candlelight creates strong chiaroscuro, isolating faces in warmth against shadowed robes. The restrained palette of ochres, deep reds, and browns reinforces the solemn gravity of the subject.