Leonard da Vinci painted the Last Supper somewhere between 1495 and 1498. It was painted for a Dominican convent in Milan. The painting was commissioned by Ludovico Sforza who was the Duke of Milan. Sforza was a wealthy man and a patron to Leonardo at the time. It was customary in the time for monks and nuns to have images of the last supper or of Christ in their refectories, so that they could dine in the presence of their Lord and Savior. The painting is mural that is 4.6 meters high and 8.8 meters wide.
The Last Supper has been declared a masterpiece and has been acclaimed as such since its completion and throughout time. Artists like Rembrandt and Rubens have praised this work from the Renaissance period. Leonardo da Vinci was a master, however, during the Renaissance he painted far little in comparison to his other passions of flight, and anatomy. He is one of the top three acclaimed Renaissance artists with Michelangelo and Raphael. The Last Supper is one of his famous works, along with Mona Lisa, and The Virgin of the Rocks.
The Moment Depicted in the Last Supper
The Last Supper painting depicts the dramatic interaction in the moments of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) where Jesus declares that one of the disciples will betray him, and later He institutes communion or the Eucharist. There are thirteen people in the painting, the twelve disciples or apostles, and Jesus Christ A notebook of da Vinci was discovered in the 19th Century, these notes allow us to name the disciples, where before this discovery only Peter, Judas, and John were able to be positively identified. From left to right the Apostles are Bartholomew, James the son of Alphaeus, Andrew, Judas, Peter, John, in the middle is Jesus, then Thomas, James the Greater, Philip, Matthew, Jude Thaddeus, Simon.
The Apostles are grouped in threes and each has something significant happening in the distinction of his personality. The first three, Bartholomew, James, and Andrew are surprised by the words of Christ. Judas is sitting in the shadows, he is holding a purse thought to be holding the 30 pieces of silver he was paid to betray Jesus. Peter is holding a knife, which could be a foreshadow for the event to follow where Peter cuts off the ear of a Roman soldier. John, who is the youngest, appears aghast or faint at the news. Thomas raises his index finger and shows his feelings of upset. This index finger is the same one that he would place on his wounds after the Resurrection. James has his arms in the air, and Philp seems to be asking for clarification.
The Last Supper is a fresco painting that has been deteriorating since its creation. It was restored from 1978 through 1999 but the work is in a fragile state. Leonardo experimented in this painting with a new technique which included tempera paint on two layers of preparatory ground. This new process caused the pigments to not attach permanently to the wall and it soon began to flake. In 1652 a door was cut beneath the painting removing the feet of Jesus and loosening more the paint and plaster of the painting.
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The History of the Last Supper
The wall painting was commissioned by the Duke of Milan for the monastery. The Duke, Sforza, was a patron of the arts, specifically Leonardo. It took Leonardo three years to complete the painting. When it was completed it was immediately named a masterpiece. The painting has deteriorated throughout centuries and has been restored numerous times. It sustained additional damage when Napoleon invaded and his troops used the refectory as a stable. In the 19th century, there was a flood in the refectory, which caused mold to grow on the painting and additional damage. In World War II the room the painting was in was hit by a bomb and the roof collapsed. The painting was exposed to the elements for several months before the space could be repaired.