New and everlasting Covenant | The Cult of the Eucharist in Visual Art

April 23 – October 4/2015
Olomouc Archdiocesan Museum | Ambit
St. Wenceslas Cathedral | Crypt
Archbishop’s Palace in Olomouc | Gallery

The Eucharist (from Greek “thanksgiving”) is one the three most important sacraments (together with Baptism and Confirmation) that are a part of a Christian life. The Eucharist was first instituted by Jesus Christ during the Last Supper when he offer bread and wine to his disciples as his body and blood as a symbol of the new and everlasting covenant and a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice through crucifixion. The Eucharist has an exceptional position among the sacraments. It is considered to be the ultimate evidence of God’s presence in Christ, as well as an elementary expression of the reverence people show to God. All the other sacraments are related to the Eucharist and aim to it.

The exhibition, arranged in the occasion of the liturgical Year of the Eucharist and National Eucharistic Congress 2015, focuses on an artistic depiction of the Eucharist as one of the fundamental parts of Christian liturgy. This important topic of Christian faith is represented by various exhibits from the Middle Ages to the present day in a wide range of artistic forms – from the Old Testament prototypes of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross; the institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper; the symbolism of devotional images with Eucharistic subtext; the revival of the topic of Eucharist during the Counter-Reformation and its baroque celebration to the view of the contemporary art.

The exhibition, organized by Olomouc Museum of Art in cooperation with Olomouc Archdiocese, is presented in three places: the crypt of Saint Wenceslas Cathedral in Olomouc – presenting especially handicraft items related to the liturgy; the ambit of Archdiocesan Museum Olomouc with a selection of paintings; and the exhibition gallery of Archbishop’s palace in Olomouc – exhibiting graphic and book art.