{"id":2099225,"date":"2026-08-18T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2099225"},"modified":"2026-08-18T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T21:00:00","slug":"julie-greens-the-last-supper-memorializes-hundreds-of-peoples-final-meals-while-on-death-row","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2099225","title":{"rendered":"Julie Green\u2019s \u2018The Last Supper\u2019 Memorializes Hundreds of People\u2019s Final Meals While on Death Row"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2033\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/green-8.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a ceramic plate with blue glaze illustration of a pizza and a pie and the label &quot;WA 10 Sept 10&quot;\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cThe Last Supper (Washington 10 September 2010).\u201d All images courtesy of the artist and Grand Rapids Art Museum, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Julie Green\u2019s \u2018The Last Supper\u2019 Memorializes Hundreds of People\u2019s Final Meals While on Death Row<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-18T09:27:26-05:00\">August 18, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><a class=\"category-social-issues\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/social-issues\/\" rel=\"tag\">Social Issues<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"colossal-share-buttons\">\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--facebook\">\n\t\t\t<a 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data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cHe never had a birthday cake, so we ordered a birthday cake for him,\u201d reads one plate. \u201cHe was only 15,\u201d reads another dated July 23, 1945, with images of chicken drumsticks and watermelon. Yet another reads, ornately, \u201cNONE,\u201d dated May 22, 2002. These are just a few of the ceramic pieces comprising the expansive series <em>The Last Supper<\/em> by artist <a href=\"https:\/\/greenjulie.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Julie L. Green<\/a> (1961-2021).<\/p>\n<p>Between 1999 and 2001, Green collected an array of mass-produced ceramic platters and plates, re-firing with the addition of cobalt blue mineral paint to illustrate everything from pizzas and lobster to pies and KFC cartons. The project was spurred by an Oklahoma newspaper clipping published in 1999 that described one man\u2019s final meal, a feast including 10 or 15 shrimp, tater tots with ketchup, two slices of pecan pie, strawberry ice cream, honey and biscuits and a Coke.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/green-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476875\" title=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Federal 16 January 2021)\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Federal 16 January 2021)\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Federal 16 January 2021)\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1929\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/green-1.jpg\" alt=\"a ceramic plate with blue glaze lettering that reads &quot;Fed 16 Jan 2021, MediaInquiryTH@bop.gov, Ms. Green, Thank you for your inquiry regarding FCC Terre Haute. We are not releasing details regarding meal requests.&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-476876\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cThe Last Supper (Federal 16 January 2021)\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cA final meal request humanizes death row for me,\u201d Green said in a statement. \u201cSelections provide clues on region, race, and economic background.\u201d Even though names aren\u2019t mentioned, the dates of the meals are noted along with the penitentiary\u2019s state.<\/p>\n<p>Some of final meals are well-documented, even legendary, such as Oklahoma city terrorist bomber Timothy McVeigh\u2019s requested <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/pictures\/last-meals-of-death-row\/3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">two pints of mint ice cream<\/a> or John Wayne Gacy\u2019s dozen fried shrimp, a bucket of original recipe KFC, french fries, and a pound of strawberries. There are also hundreds of stories that are never publicized.<\/p>\n<p>Green sent formal requests to prisons to learn about the final meals of people housed there, and they quote some of the responses in the compositions, including if her request was denied. Over the past 50 years, <a href=\"https:\/\/deathpenaltyinfo.org\/executions\/executions-overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1,676 individuals<\/a> have been executed in the U.S. All but 303 of those have taken place in the South, with Texas ordering 600 alone. In <em>The Last Supper<\/em>, Green chronicles an instance of humanity, small yet profound, that\u2019s proffered to those within an inherently inhumane system.<\/p>\n<p>This autumn, see <em>The Last Supper<\/em> at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artmuseumgr.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Grand Rapids Art Museum<\/a>, where it will be on view for a little more than a year, starting October 3. You might also be interested in Gil Batle\u2019s porcelain series <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/07\/gil-batle-porcelain-plate-paintings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Double Life<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/green-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476875\" title=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Indiana 05 May 2007)\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Indiana 05 May 2007)\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Indiana 05 May 2007)\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/green-3.jpg\" alt=\"a ceramic plate with blue glaze illustration of cake and pizza and the words &quot;he never had a birthday cake, so we ordered a birthday cake for him&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-476878\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cThe Last Supper (Indiana 05 May 2007)\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/green-9.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476875\" title=\"Installation view\" data-rl_title=\"Installation view\" data-rl_caption=\"Installation view\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1080\" height=\"478\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/green-9.jpg\" alt=\"an installation view of dozens of blue-glaze ceramic plates with illustrations of death row inmates&apos; last meals\" class=\"wp-image-476881\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Installation view<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/green-7.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476875\" title=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Texas 22 May 2002)\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Texas 22 May 2002)\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Texas 22 May 2002)\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1934\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/green-7.jpg\" alt=\"a ceramic plate with blue glaze word &quot;none&quot; in ornate lettering in the center and the label &quot;TX 22 May 2002&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-476879\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cThe Last Supper (Texas 22 May 2002)\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/green-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476875\" title=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Oklahoma 29 April 2014)\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Oklahoma 29 April 2014)\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Oklahoma 29 April 2014)\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1952\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/green-5.jpg\" alt=\"a ceramic plate with blue glaze illustration of a KFC bucket and the words &quot;Oklahoma 19 April 2014 received last meal after another botched execution, granted 14 day stay&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-476883\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cThe Last Supper (Oklahoma 29 April 2014)\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/green-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476875\" title=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Oklahoma 29 April 2014)\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Oklahoma 29 April 2014)\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Oklahoma 29 April 2014)\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/green-6.jpg\" alt=\"a ceramic plate with blue glaze illustration of food and the words &quot;Okla. 29 April 2014&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-476882\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cThe Last Supper (Oklahoma 29 April 2014)\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/green-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476875\" title=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Idaho 06 January 1994)\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Idaho 06 January 1994)\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cThe Last Supper (Idaho 06 January 1994)\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/green-2.jpg\" alt=\"a ceramic plate with blue glaze illustration of lobster and other foods\" class=\"wp-image-476877\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cThe Last Supper (Idaho 06 January 1994)\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 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[&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-2099225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2099225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2099225"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2099225\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2099225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2099225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2099225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}