After all the hangover of the Olympic Opening Ceremony that left no one indifferent, among the debates and the open fronts, one seems to stand out from the others, with the relevant figures holding the sword of Damocles in front (pun intended). The truth is that it was very easy to get lost among so many references, but during a banquet scene with drag artists, many probably felt very offended because it made fun of the Last Supper. It turned out that it did not represent the scene.

Now. Suddenly, a man with a blond beard, half naked and completely painted in blue, appears on television all over the world. Behind him, there was a diverse escort with everything that was in this kind of grocer and celebration: a woman with a crown, transvestites, many and very different: blacks, bearded, blushing, red-haired blondes, and all of these were alive, surrounded by a group of dancers. In the background, there is a representation that may remind us of Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous Last Supper.

Reactions. Of course they didn’t. If the Olympics are not looking to debate and contain the debate between Wokes and Anti Wokes, the shot went completely wrong. Elon Musk called the event a “disrespectful” display towards Christians. US telecoms company C Spire said it would pull its advertising around the Games after being “shocked by the mockery of the Last Supper”.

Even Trump has started shouting against “woke ideology,” declaring that he believes it is a “satanic” parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” Other conservative figures, such as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and Trump’s own son, have followed suit, saying that “using games to push woke ideology has nothing to do with anything the games stand for.”

But still, the scene did not depict Da Vinci’s work.

It was another painting. Apparently, the staged scene was “Festin des Dieux” by Jan Harmensz van Bijlert (1635), kept in the Magnin museum in Avignon, where the gods of Olympus celebrate the wedding of Thetis and Peleus. We do not say. Thomas Jolly, artistic director of both the Olympic Games and the ceremony, declared so.

Dieux Festival

Jolly has now explained to several media outlets that the whole thing was a misunderstanding, as he was never trying to make fun of The Last Supper. What the artist wanted to do was represent a scene depicting Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry, at “a great pagan festival connected to the Olympian gods.”

I wanted to briefly refer to pagan gods, “In my work you will never find a desire to ridicule or humiliate anyone. I wanted a ceremony that would unite people, reconcile them but also reconcile them. We affirm our values. Republicans of freedom, equality and fraternity”.

Differences: The Last Supper. We are looking at a Renaissance masterpiece representing the scene of the Last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples just before his arrest and crucifixion. The painting is notable for its detailed composition and innovative use of perspective, creating a sense of depth and realism.

What we see: Each apostle demonstrates real human reactions to Jesus’ announcement that one of them will betray him, capturing the emotional complexity of the moment. The play is not just a religious performance, but a study in human interaction and betrayal.

Differences: Festival of Dieux. We are looking at a baroque painting depicting the gods of classical mythology at a sumptuous banquet. The work symbolizes hedonism and opulence by showing the gods in a moment of celebration and excess.

What we see: Through his detailed composition and vibrant use of color, Van Bijlert captures the essence of divine joy and abundance. Like other works of the time, this work can be interpreted as a reflection of human vulnerability in the face of earthly pleasures, emphasizing the tension between the divine and human worlds.

I woke up and it was the opposite. The debate over the moving picture scene at the Olympics is in some ways a reflection of the times we live in. Quite apart from the absurdity of such a debate in 2024, the debate reflects the insistence of some and others to raise their loudspeakers. We mentioned this a few weeks ago, and if we pay attention to the market and how brands and companies are moving away from their messaging, it seems that the end of the “woke era” is near. Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, the counter-narrative seems to be gaining strength with Trump’s possible return and all that that entails.

This also seems to be the message from companies like Microsoft, John Deere, and even Google. In fact, the ad itself seems to dismiss this issue. alertnessPerhaps, as José Luis Antúnez recently put it, “it is possible that the importance of diversity is beginning to disappear.”

Or maybe advertising just follows the market without leading anything, and not the other way around.

Image | Paris 2024, Leonardo Da Vinci

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