A modern rendition of the prominent Biblical plot, The Last Supper by Lorna May Wadsworth, has been discovered to have a peculiar defect that looks like a bullet hole, The Independent reports. The mysterious mark, which was left by an air rifle shot, ballistic experts have confirmed, has damaged Jesus Christ’s figure, modelled on Jamaican-born model Tafari Hinds.
The discovery was reportedly made as The Last Supper, which was on display in a Gloucestershire country church for several years, was being prepared for an exhibition at the Graves Gallery in Sheffield.
In her statement, the artist, who started working on her version of the iconic Biblical scene in 2008, said that some had speculated that the hole could represent Jesus’ fatal wound from a Roman soldier during the crucifixion, as the hole is on the right sight of the Saviour.
However, the idea that this act might have something to do with the skin colour of Wadsworth’s Jesus was floated by the British outlet, which published photos of the damaged picture as well. The artist, however, hopes that “it was just mindless vandalism as the alternative is too horrible to contemplate”.
“Initially, when I first saw the damage, I was so upset that I considered pulling the painting from the exhibition. However, it was also very important to me that whoever did the damage didn’t ‘win’”, she said in the statement.