The Last Supper: That One Maths Homework Question

Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, this drawing captures a single quiet moment that sets off a ripple of animated reactions, reflections, and debate, held together in a theatrical scene frozen in time. Here, the initiating comment is a simple request for help from the little girl in the centre of the drawing regarding a challenging maths problem.

Original artwork
Date: 2026
Materials: Black ink on 200gsm Fabriano paper
Size of image: H24cm x W114cm
Size of paper: H60cm x W140cm
Inspired by: Leonardo da Vinci’s, The Last Supper

Limited edition giclée prints
Edition: 25 prints
Materials: 300gsm Heritage paper, acid free; archival inks
Size of image: H24cm x W114cm
Size of paper: H44cm x W134cm

£ POA

a large black ink drawing with a gridded composition, each square having a different, detailed pattern, featuring a small girl at the center with a book open on the table in front of her and 12 adults around
a large black ink drawing with a gridded composition, each square having a different, detailed pattern, featuring a small girl at the center with a book open on the table in front of her and 12 adults around

Enlarged sections of the artwork, from left to right:

a black-and-white drawing with a gridded composition, each square having a different, detailed pattern, and featuring 3 adults
a black-and-white drawing with a gridded composition, each square having a different, detailed pattern, and featuring 3 adults at a long table
a black ink drawing with a gridded composition, each square having a different, detailed pattern, and featuring 3 adults and a child sitting at a long table with an open book and pen doing her maths homework
a black-and-white drawing with a gridded composition, each square having a different, detailed pattern, and featuring 3 adults at a long table

As a primary school teacher, I often witnessed parents becoming unexpectedly exasperated when faced with maths questions their children brought home – problems they (as parents) had been taught through rote methods rather than logical, investigative thinking. These conversations were often animated, revealing a mix of confusion, frustration, and disbelief!

In this work, I have tried to hold onto that moment, where a small request opens out into a cascade of responses. Each figure carries a distinct reaction – curiosity, contemplation, relief – together forming a shared human scene of learning, misunderstanding, and connection.