The Last Supper Sculpture by Peter Barnes at Windsor Parish Church of St John the Baptist High Street SL4 1LTThis amazing work of art has recently arrived at St John the Baptist Parish Church in Windsor. The sculpture was inspired by the Last Supper painting by Leonardo da Vinci and is now installed near the imposing 400-year-old painting of the Last Supper by Francis Cleyn, gifted to the church by George III. Peter Barnes says “My aim was to re-create the painting as an abstract three dimensional form; I wanted to keep the detail to a minimum while retaining all the expression and interaction of the characters.” Peter estimates it is decorated with over 50,000 computer keys - some are placed at random, some form words or phrases from the Bible, ensuring you find something new each time you look. Peter explains “I wanted this sculpture to be finished with a mosaic but not in the conventional way. I realised that a computer keyboard is made up of squares which could be used as tiles. This led me to thinking of the possibilities; the letters, numbers and symbols could be utilised to create further interest and meaning.”Cyril, aged 11, has already found a number of names, words and phrases and his list is near the sculpture along with another informal questionnaire, should visitors prefer to be prompted. Visitors are encouraged to share their thoughts (and words they’ve found!) in a special Visitors’ Book. The book will be passed to the artist when the installation moves on.The sculpture’s move to Windsor was the result of Patricia Carr, a parishioner, happening across it while holidaying near Leominster Priory last year. Patricia was so taken with it that, on returning home, she shared photographs and her impressions of it with the Revd Canon Sally Lodge, Rector.It took a determined team of volunteers three hours, under Peter’s confident direction, to get the 4m long sculpture the short distance into the building from the lane beside the church. The sculpture is scheduled to be in Windsor until the autumn.The church, which is open daily, sits in the shadow of Windsor Castle and almost next door to the Guildhall, where the King and Queen were married in 2005. The present building celebrated its 200th anniversary last year, although there has been a church on the site for around 900 years, since the reign of Henry I. For more information, please contact the Revd Canon Sally Lodge on windsor.rector@gmail.com or 01753 862419 or Victoria Stevens at windsor.churchnews@gmail.com.
