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Paris Olympics organizers issued an apology on Sunday after a scene depicting the Greek god Dionysus drew criticism for allegedly mocking Leonardo da Vinci's painting “The Last Supper,” which depicts Jesus Christ and his 12 apostles during his final meal.
At the ceremony on Friday night, a nearly nude man painted in blue, representing Dionysus, was seen positioning himself on a long dinner table surrounded by food and drag queens.
The depiction, according to some religious organizations, was a “mockery and derision” of the Christian faith. Public figures including the U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson called it a “war on our faith and traditional values.”
According to reports, several performers have since been subject to online hate, with one having filed a legal complaint against her cyberattackers.
Meanwhile, Anne Descamps, spokesperson for the 2024 Paris Olympics, stated that it was “never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group” during a press conference on Sunday.
Here’s everything you need to know about the backlash — and why art experts say people might have misinterpreted its meaning.
During the ceremony, French DJ and producer Barbara Butch stood at the center of a long table reminiscent of the one in da Vinci's painting.
She’s surrounded by drag queens — including Drag Race France host Nicky Doll and Legendary star Giselle Palmer — when French actor and singer Philippe Katerine appears as the Greek god Dionysus. He’s painted in blue, wearing flowers over his private area, and he then sings his song “Nu” (or “Naked”).
The table then transformed into a runway, with drag queens and models showcasing their outfits in a tribute to the city’s vibrant fashion scene.
On the night of the ceremony, the Paris Olympics described the scene on X as an “interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus” and “absurdity of violence between human beings.”
Several religious groups and public figures spoke out after the performance, including actor Rob Schneider, who said the scene “openly celebrates Satan” in a post shared on X. “I cannot watch an Olympics that disrespects Christianity,” he wrote.
FormerView co-host Candace Cameron Bure shared her own outrage in a video posted to Instagram.
“[To] see the Opening Ceremonies completely blaspheme and mock the Christian faith with their interpretation of the ‘Last Supper’ was disgusting,” she said.
Fox Nation host Piers Morgan, meanwhile, called it an “appalling decision” while others claimed to be “infuriated” by the performance, describing it as “crazy” and an “outright attack” on Christian values. C Spire, a Mississippi tech company, vowed to pull its ads from the Olympics.
The French Bishops’ Conference, representing the country’s Catholic bishops, also denounced the scene.
Barbara Butch claims to have been a victim of death threats and homophobic hate online. She’s since filed several complaints against her cyberattackers, according to a statement from her lawyer.
“All my life, I have refused to be a victim: I will not remain silent,” she wrote on Instagram, according to the Daily Beast. “I am not afraid of those who hide behind a screen, or a pseudonym, to vomit their hatred and their frustrations.”
As for Katerine, the singer told CNN he was “deeply sorry” for shocking people and that any interpretation of it offending Christian values is a “misunderstanding.”
“I ask for forgiveness if I have offended anyone, and the Christians of the world will grant me that, I’m sure,” he said. “When it comes down to it, it wasn’t about representing ‘The Last Supper’ at all.”
In a statement on Instagram, Doll wrote, “To the ones that had their feathers ruffled seeing queerness on their screen: WE AIN’T GOING NOWHERE.”
Le Filip, the recent winner of Drag Race France Season 3, also took part in the scene and expressed their “surprise” and “pride” about the uproar it received.
“I thought it would be a five-minute drag event with queer representation,” they told the Associated Press before applauding the French government for showing “no restraints in expression.”
Descamps attempted to explain the intention behind the scene during Sunday’s press conference.
“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” she said. “On the contrary, I think that [artistic director] Thomas Jolly really tried to celebrate community tolerance. We believe that this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry.”
For his part, Jolly made clear in an interview with France’s BFMTV that the scene was meant to depict Dionysus, the god of wine and feasts, who is also the father of Sequana, goddess of the Seine River, where the ceremony took place.
“We wanted to include everyone, as simple as that,” Jolly said of the backlash during a press conference on Saturday. “I didn’t have any specific messages that I wanted to deliver.”
Art historians pointed out that the scene is not a parody of “The Last Supper” but rather inspired by “The Feast of the Gods,” a 17th century painting of the Greek Olympian gods, by Jan van Bijlert.
The Musée Magnin in Dijon, France, which has the painting in its collection, posted images of it on Sunday, writing in French on X, “Does this painting remind you of something?”
Dutch art historian Walther Schoonenberg agreed, explaining on X that Apollo, god of the sun, was recognizable by Butch’s halo, as was Dionysus, god of wine and feasts, by the grapes and Poseidon, god of the sea, by his trident.
“There is no question in this tableau of an insult to Christians,” he wrote in Dutch. “We’re talking about the Olympic gods in a representation of van Bijlert’s work. The Greek gods came together on Olympus — where the ancient Games took place.”
Others, however, were less forgiving of the association.
“The idea of the central figure with a halo and a group of followers on either side — it’s so typical of ‘The Last Supper’ iconography that to read it in any other way might be a little foolhardy,” Sasha Grishin, art historian and professor at the Australian National University, told the New York Times.
