The Last Supper : Biblical growth of food portions

Mar 23 2010

By Candy Lashkari

The abundant availability of food has become directly reflected in the paintings of the Last Supper made over the centuries. As we struggle less to get our food, the plates sizes and portions of food painted in by artists in depictions of the last supper of Jesus with his apostles also gets influenced. In a comparative study of 52 paintings all depicting the momentous event some rather interesting facts came to light.The study which was published by the International Journal of Obesity (April 2010) and conducted by Cornell University was the brain child of Brian Wansink.

He is at present the John S. Dyson Professor of Marketing and of Applied Economics. He is also the director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab. Brian Wansink is also the author of "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think”. The research was aided by his brother Craig Wansink, who is an ordained Presbyterian minister. Craig Wansink is also the professor of religious studies at Virginia Wesleyan College, Norfolk, Va.

Using computer aided design technology the 52 paintings taken from the book 'Last Supper,' (2000 Phaidon Press), were examined by researchers after scanning and the food portions before the apostles were subjected to great scrutiny. "The last thousand years have witnessed dramatic increases in the production, availability, safety, abundance and affordability of food," said Brian Wansink," "We think that as art imitates life, these changes have been reflected in paintings of history's most famous dinner."

The findings of this study established that the size of the plate grew down the ages by 66%, while the main dish grew by about 69%. The bread size increased by 23% and in general the food portions have continuously increased from the year 1000 to 2000 AD. The variety of food displayed by the artists on the table is also not referenced in the Bible. Besides bread and wine, no details are given in the bible, yet artists have painted in fish, eel, lamb and even pork, making the simple meal into a feast.

While the study is being considered “fun” but not relevant, Martin Binks a consultant at Duke University Medical Center, suggests "We have real life examples of the increase in portion size — all you have to do is look at what's being sold at fast-food restaurants." No matter which way you look at it ancient meals or modern fast food, the fact that food portions are on the rise is well and truly established. It is also seen as the underlying cause for the obesity that is rampant today.