Olympics opening ceremony artistic director says controversial scene not inspired by The Last Supper

By Seyma Uzundere

ANKARA (AA) - Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the Paris Olympic opening ceremony, claimed that the controversial tableau at the ceremony depicted a pagan festival and not Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.

Jolly told French outlet BFMTV said that the scene was inspired by Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, rather than Jesus.

"Dionysus is the first to arrive at the table. Why Dionysus? Because Dionysus is the god of celebrations and wine in Greek mythology and the father of Sequana, the goddess of the Seine River. Here, the idea is a grand pagan festival connected with the gods of Olympus," Jolly said.

The opening ceremony of the Olympics drew significant backlash for a drag queen parody of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, which many viewed as disrespectful to religious beliefs.