Description
The Last Supper is undoubtedly the most famous painting of Jesus Christ.
The scene depicts the final Passover meal between Jesus and his apostles, based on the account described in the Gospel of John, chapter 13. Leonardo da Vinci imagined and succeeded in conveying the apostles’ desire to know who had entered their minds as the one betraying their Master.
The work was painted as a mural in the late 15th century on the walls of the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.
Fresco paintings are generally created by applying pigment to intonaco, or a thin layer of wet lime plaster. This is usually the best technique to use, as it allows the fresco to accommodate the natural breathing, or sweating, of a wall as moisture moves toward the surface.
However, for The Last Supper, da Vinci chose to use oil paint because it dries much more slowly, allowing him to work on the image at a much slower pace and in far greater detail.
Leonardo knew that the natural moisture seeping through most stone-walled buildings would have to be sealed off if he used oil paints, or it would ruin his work.
The artist added a double layer of plaster, putty, and pitch to combat deterioration.
However, the work of art has had to be restored many times over its long history. Very little of the original top layer of oil paint remains as a result of environmental and deliberate damage.
An interesting feature of The Last Supper is the way the artist uses perspective and lighting to create depth and realism in the scene. The painting presents a view of the table from a vantage point where the viewer seems to be seated at the table, in Jesus’ place. This perspective technique, called central perspective, was innovative for its time and has been widely studied and admired for its dramatic effect in the painting.
In addition, the painting’s lighting is remarkable. Leonardo used a technique called chiaroscuro, the application of strong contrasts between light and shadow to create a three-dimensional effect in the scene. The light coming through the window behind Jesus illuminates the figures in a way that highlights their facial features and gestures, contributing to the scene’s dramatic intensity.
Another interesting detail is the depiction of the figures’ hands. Leonardo da Vinci was deeply interested in the anatomy and physiology of the human body, and this is reflected in his meticulous attention to the way hands are represented in the painting. Each figure has a different position and gesture at the table, resulting in a variety of expressions and attitudes conveyed through their hands.
The Last Supper is a masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci that combines central perspective, chiaroscuro, and attention to anatomical detail to create a dramatic and moving scene of Jesus’s last supper with his disciples.
The Last Supper ranks No. 33 on the list of famous paintings