"The Last Supper" - A Painting Overview

A multi-year work of art, Leonard Da Vinci, worked on painting "The Last Supper" from 1494 to 1497. Commissioned by the Duke of Milan, a great patron of writers and painters - Ludovico il

Moro, it is not a work on canvas that the duke would frame and then hang on his wall. Rather, it is a mural painted on a wall in the refectory of the Cathedral's adjoining Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan . And as such, the mural began deteriorating quickly after its completion. So much so, that very little of Da Vinci's original painting remains. Although, there have been several restoration attempts made over the centuries to preserve as much of it as

possible.

Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" depicts the moment related in The Bible in The Book of John, Chapter 3, Verses 21 through 29 when Jesus informs his disciples prior to his crucifixion that

one of them will betray Him. The consternation of the disciples upon receiving such news is revealed in the painting through the questioning and horrified faces coupled with the arms

stretched out gestures of the parties present in the scene. And the identity of the infamous betrayer, Judas, is revealed where Jesus is reaching with His hand for a piece of bread that

nearly coincides with Judas reaching for that same loaf of bread.

According to some versions, Da Vinci strolled the streets of Milan looking for a criminal as his model for the betrayer, Judas. And when he heard of a terrible criminal being housed in the city jail, he requested permission from the mayor of Milan that the criminal be allowed to pose for him. The permission was granted and the man was accompanied to Da Vinci's studio by two prison guards at all times.

Amidst all of the mayhem in the scene that the Italian Renaissance painter depicts in "The Last Supper", the eye is drawn to the central figure in the painting, Jesus. Da Vinci chose a model that evoked life and spiritual strength for his depiction of The Christ. And the serene countenance of Jesus' face in the painting is part of what draws the viewer to Him in the

painting.

Da Vinci also manages to draw the eye towards Jesus in "The Last Supper" without the use of a halo. While halos around the Madonna and child were often depicted in medieval art, by the time of the Renaissance era the use of halos began to diminish in frequency as the rise of realism took hold. Nevertheless, Da Vinci manages to give the illusion of a faint halo

surrounding Jesus' head in the painting by depicting a window behind Him that allows for natural light to come in around Him.

Da Vinci's painting of "The Last Supper" is a 15th century interpretation of the event which occurred in the first century. And in his 15th century interpretation, Da Vinci gives prominence

to the presence of a table in the forefront. While the invention of the table has been traced to the Egyptians as early as 2500 BC, they were used primarily to keep objects off of the stone floor and not for eating. And it wasn't until the ancient Greeks and Romans, that the table's use broadened in scope. However, the ancient Roman custom was to use a low table called a

triclinium for serving food while the guests reclined on cushions on the floor. This was also the custom of ancient Israel at the time of Jesus' Last Supper. Therefore, the participants would not have been in the more comfortable seeming high sitting position as depicted in Da Vinci's masterpiece.

Alas, even great works of art such as Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" suffer from the demands of practicality at times. And in 1652, Jesus' feet were removed from the painting, when a door was carved into the north wall of the refectory. However, with Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" known for being one of the best examples of one point perspective in the world of art, Leonard Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" is on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage sites.

Luisa Reyes is an attorney in Tuscaloosa with a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Judson, a master's degree in library science, and a law degree from Samford's Cumberland School of Law. She is also a piano instructor and vocalist.