Historical importance of Ledbury's Last Supper grows

That’s the opinion of Ronald Moore, the art expert who restored the painting in 2018 and discovered the signature of Titian on it.

Mr Moore also wrote the book ‘Titian’s Lost Last Supper’, which was published in 2021.

And he says a number of important events have taken place since then.

Ronald Moore (right) with the former Bishop of Hereford, Richard Frith

“It will all create new interest in the Last Supper since its art historical importance and thus its value has been found to be considerably greater as the book became discovered around the world,” he said.

The painting had sat undiscovered in Ledbury Parish Church for decades before its significance was realised.

Now leading art historians including Professor Enrico Maria Dal Pozzolo and Professor Charles Hope, a Titian scholar, have recognised Mr Moore’s work on the Last Supper.

READ MORE: The hands of Old Masters are detected in Ledbury's "lost" Last Supper

And a sale in New York last year saw a painting by Girolamo di Tiziano sell for almost $190,000.

Girolamo, who was Titian’s assistant for 30 years, has been found to have painted several heads on the Last Supper.

“This adds greatly to the importance of our Last Supper since we know that he was involved with the white-haired apostles, and it certainly means that the Last Supper has increased in value, and especially in importance in the study of Titian’s workshop,” said Mr Moore.

Ronald Moore's book has been bought all over the world (Image: Ronald Moore)

He added that this is “an area still not fully understood but which has become clearer after 11,000 hours of research by myself and my researcher Patricia Kenny.”

While he admits the value will have increased, Mr Moore will not be drawn into estimating how much the painting would fetch at auction.

“I shall not comment on values still and it is academic since the painting cannot be sold,” he said.

Research on Ledbury’s Last Supper continues - but art historians believe they do now know where the painting originally hung.

“It was almost certainly the Convertite, now a women's prison in Giudecca, Venice,” said Mr Moore.

“It was listed in Zanetti’s study on Venetian painting in 1733.

“It is not possible to enter to check the walls there but I was sent an original plan of the chapel by a Venetian historian and it would have fitted perfectly ‘sopra la porta nella chiesa’ - over the door in the chapel - and it was recorded as being there.”