Reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. The history of the creation of the fresco “The Last Supper”

29.04.2019

Number 3

The painting contains repeated references to the number three:

The apostles sit in groups of three;
behind Jesus there are three windows;
the contours of the figure of Christ resemble a triangle.

Figure

The figure of Jesus is positioned and illuminated in such a way that the viewer's attention is drawn primarily to him. The head of Jesus is at a vanishing point for all lines of perspective.

Gesture

Jesus' gesture can be interpreted in two ways. According to the Bible, Jesus predicts that his betrayer will reach out to eat at the same time he does. Judas reaches for the dish, not noticing that Jesus is also reaching for him. right hand. At the same time, Jesus points to bread and wine, symbolizing the sinless body and shed blood respectively.

Analysis

The work is believed to depict the moment when Jesus utters the words that one of the apostles will betray him (“and while they were eating, he said, “Truly I say to you, one of you will betray me”), and the reaction of each of them.

As in other depictions of the Last Supper of the time, Leonardo places those sitting at the table on one side so that the viewer can see their faces. Most previous writings on the subject excluded Judas, placing him alone at the opposite end of the table from where the other eleven apostles and Jesus sat, or depicting all the apostles except Judas with a halo. Judas clutches a small pouch, perhaps representing the silver he received for betraying Jesus, or an allusion to his role among the twelve apostles as treasurer. He was the only one with his elbow on the table. The knife in Peter's hand, pointing away from Christ, perhaps refers the viewer to the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane during the arrest of Christ.

The light illuminating the entire scene does not come from the windows painted behind, but comes from the left, like the real light from the window on the left wall.

In many places the picture passes golden ratio; for example, where Jesus and John, who is on his right, put their hands, the canvas is divided in this ratio.

Simon the Canaanite

Information in the Gospels about Simon the Canaanite is extremely scarce. He is mentioned in the lists of the apostles in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 10:4), Mark (Mark 3:18), Luke (Luke 6:15), as well as in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:13). He is called Simon the Zealot or Simon the Zealot to distinguish him from Simon Peter. No other information about the apostle New Testament does not lead. The nickname Zealot is sometimes interpreted as a commitment to Jewish nationalism (Zealots).

Simon the Canaanite is identified with stepbrother(from Joseph and Salome) Jesus Christ, who celebrated the wedding in Cana of Galilee, where Jesus turned water into wine. He is identified with Simeon, an apostle of the 70, who became the second bishop of Jerusalem after the execution of James the Righteous.

Apostle Thaddeus

Brother of Jacob Alpheus, son of Alpheus or Cleopas.

Mentioned in the lists of the apostles in the Gospels of Luke (Luke 6:16) and John (John 14:22); and also in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:13). In the Gospel of John, Judas asks Jesus at the Last Supper about his upcoming resurrection. Moreover, he is called “Judas, not Iscariot” to distinguish him from Judas, the traitor. According to legend, the Apostle Jude preached in Palestine, Arabia, Syria and Mesopotamia, and died a martyr’s death in Armenia in the second half of the 1st century AD. e. The alleged grave is located on the territory of the Armenian monastery of St. Thaddeus in northwestern Iran. Part of the relics of the holy apostle resides in the Vatican in St. Peter's Basilica.

Levi Matthew

The only reliable fact reported by the Gospels is that Matthew Levi was a tax collector, that is, a tax collector. In the text of the Gospel of Matthew, the apostle is called “Matthew the Publican,” which perhaps indicates the author’s humility, since publicans were deeply despised by the Jews.

Apostle Philip

Mentioned in the lists of apostles in Matthew (10:3), Mark (3:18), Luke (6:14), and also in the Acts of the Apostles (1:13).

The Gospel of John reports that Philip was from Bethsaida, from the same city as Andrew and Peter, and was called third after them. Philip brought Nathanael (Bartholomew) to Jesus (John 1:43-46). On the pages of the Gospel of John, Philip appears three more times: he talks with Jesus about bread for the multitude (John 6:5-7); brings Greeks (Hellenized Jews) to Jesus (John 12:20-22); asks Jesus to show the Father at the Last Supper (John 14:8-9).

Mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, Philip the Deacon or Philip the Evangelist is another person, the namesake of the Apostle Philip.

Eusebius of Caesarea cites a report from Clement of Alexandria that Philip was married and had daughters, with whom Papias was also acquainted. Philip preached the Gospel in Scythia and Phrygia. For his preaching activities he was executed (crucified head down) in the year 80 (during the reign of the Roman Emperor Titus in the city of Hierapolis Phrygian, in Asia Minor.

Jacob Zebedee

An apostle of Jesus Christ mentioned in the New Testament. Son of Zebedee, born in Palestine, was killed in 44 in Jerusalem. Elder brother of John the Evangelist.

Apostle Thomas

Thomas was chosen by Christ as one of the twelve apostles, as the evangelists Matthew, Mark and Luke tell us. However, they only mention the name of Thomas among the names of the other apostles.

On the contrary, John the Theologian informs us of Thomas's participation in several events in the gospel story, including Thomas's assurance. According to the Gospel of John, Thomas was absent during the first appearance of Jesus Christ to the other apostles after the Resurrection from the dead and, having learned from them that Jesus had risen from the dead and came to them, he said: “If I do not see the wounds of the nails in His hands, I will not put I will not put my finger into the wound of the nails, and I will not put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Appearing to the apostles again, Jesus invited Thomas to put his finger into the wounds, after which Thomas believed and said: “My Lord and my God!”

The Gospel narrative leaves it unclear whether Thomas actually put his finger into Christ's wounds or not. According to some theologians, Thomas refused to do this, while others believe that Thomas touched the wounds of Christ.

The expression “Doubting Thomas” (or “infidel”) has become a common noun and denotes an incredulous listener. The plot of Thomas's assurance has become a popular subject in gospel iconography.

Based on the story of the appearance of Jesus Christ to the apostles on the Sea of Galilee, it can be assumed that the Apostle Thomas was originally a fisherman.

John the Theologian

One of the Twelve Apostles, son of Zebedee, also called the Theologian, evangelist, brother of the Apostle James. In the Gospel of Mark, together with his brother, Jesus is nicknamed “Son of Thunder” (Boanerges).

The Fathers of the Church considered him to be the same person as John the Evangelist, the “Beloved Disciple,” although modern theologians and biblical scholars have no consensus regarding the identity of these people.

According to the tradition of most Christian denominations, the Apostle John is the author of the Gospel, the Book of Revelation and three messages included in the New Testament.

Apostle Peter

Born in Bethsaida in the family of a simple fisherman Jonah. The original name of the apostle was Simon (Hebrew: Shimon). The name Peter (Petrus, from the Greek πέτρος - stone) arose from the nickname Cephas (Aramic - stone), which Jesus gave him. He was married and worked as a fisherman with his brother Andrey. When Jesus met Peter and Andrew, he said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Having become a disciple of Jesus Christ, he accompanied him in all the paths of his earthly life. Peter was one of Jesus' favorite disciples. When Jesus asked the disciples what they thought about Him, Peter said that He was “the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

By nature, Peter was very lively and hot-tempered: it was he who wanted to walk on water to approach Jesus, and it was he who cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant in the Garden of Gethsemane. On the night after Jesus was arrested, Peter, as Jesus predicted, showed weakness and, fearing persecution, denied Him three times before the rooster crowed (see also the servant of the doorkeeper). But later Peter sincerely repented and was forgiven by the Lord.

Together with James and John, he was present on Mount Tabor when the transfiguration of Jesus took place.

Judas Iscariot

Among the apostles, Judas was in charge of their money, and then betrayed Jesus Christ for 30 pieces of silver.

After Jesus Christ was sentenced to crucifixion, Judas repented and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the high priests and elders, saying: “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said to him: “What is that to us?” And, throwing the pieces of silver in the Temple, Judas went and hanged himself.

After the betrayal and suicide of Judas Iscariot, Jesus' disciples decided to choose a new apostle to replace Judas. They chose two candidates: “Joseph, called Barsaba, who was called Justus, and Matthias,” and after praying to God to indicate whom to make an apostle, they cast lots. The lot fell to Matthias, and he was numbered among the Apostles.

The name Judas became a common noun to denote betrayal.

Andrew the First-Called

In the life of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, it is mentioned that Andrew and his brother Simon (the future St. Peter) were Galilean fishermen, born and raised in Bethsaida (a city on the shore of Lake Gennesaret); their father's name was Jonah. Having matured, the brothers moved to Capernaum, where they acquired their own home and continued to fish.

Even in his youth, Andrei decided to devote himself to serving God. Maintaining chastity, he refused to marry. Hearing that on the Jordan River John the Baptist was preaching about the coming of the Messiah and calling for repentance, Andrei left everything and went to him. Soon the young man became John the Baptist's closest disciple.

The evangelists Matthew and John describe Andrew's meeting with Jesus differently.

Saint Andrew is called the First-Called because he was called the first of the apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ.

Jacob Alfeev

An apostle of Jesus Christ mentioned in the New Testament. Brother of the Apostle Judas Jacob, possibly brother of the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew. In the three Gospels his name is given in the list of twelve, but no other information is given about him.

According to his life, Jacob was a publican, preached in Judea, and then, together with the Apostle Andrew, went to Edessa. Afterwards he independently preached in Gaza and Eleutheropolis (Southern Palestine).

Apostle Bartholomew

According to legend, Bartholomew, together with Philip, preached in the cities of Asia Minor, especially in connection with the name of the Apostle Bartholomew, the city of Hierapolis is mentioned. Tradition also reports about his trip to India and preaching in Armenia, where on the Artashat Hill he met with the Apostle Judas Thaddeus (the Armenian Church honors them as its founders). Eusebius of Caesarea reports that in India Bartholomew left the Gospel of Matthew in Hebrew to the community he founded, which was found by the philosopher Panten, a teacher at the School of Alexandria

About the picture

The dimensions of the image are approximately 460x880 cm, it is located in the refectory of the monastery, on the back wall. The theme is traditional for this type of premises. The opposite wall of the refectory is covered with a fresco by another master; Leonardo also put his hand to it.

The painting was commissioned by Leonardo from his patron, Duke Ludovico Sforza and his wife Beatrice d'Este. The lunettes above the painting, formed by a ceiling with three arches, are painted with the Sforza coat of arms. The painting began in 1495 and was completed in 1498; work proceeded intermittently. The date of the start of work is not certain, since "the archives of the monastery were destroyed, and the negligible part of the documents that we have dates back to 1497, when the painting was almost completed."

Three early copies of the painting are known to exist, presumably by Leonardo's assistant.

The painting became a milestone in the history of the Renaissance: the correctly reproduced depth of perspective changed the direction of the development of Western painting.

Last Supper - event last days earthly life of Jesus Christ, his last meal with his twelve closest disciples, during which he established the sacrament of the Eucharist and predicted the betrayal of one of the disciples. The Last Supper is the subject of many icons and paintings, but the most famous work- This is “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci.

In the center of Milan, next to the Gothic church of Santa Maria della Grazie, is the entrance to the former Dominican monastery, where the famous wall painting Leonardo da Vinci. Created in 1495-97 " Last Supper", is the most copied work. Already during the Renaissance, about 20 works with the same theme were written by artists from France, Germany and Spain.

Church of Santa Maria della Grazie

The painter received the order to paint the work from his patron, the Duke of Milan Ludovico Sforza in 1495. Despite the fact that the ruler was famous for his dissolute life, after the death of his wife he did not leave his room for 15 days. And when he came out, the first thing he did was order Leonardo da Vinci to paint a fresco, which his late wife had once asked for, and forever stopped all entertainment at court.

Sketch

"The Last Supper", description

Leonardo's brush depicted Jesus Christ with his apostles during the last supper before his execution, held in Jerusalem, on the eve of his arrest by the Romans. According to the scripture, Jesus said during the meal that one of the apostles would betray him (“and while they were eating, he said, “Truly I say to you, one of you will betray me”). Leonardo da Vinci tried to depict the reaction of each of the students to the prophetic phrase of the teacher. An artist, as usual creative people, worked very chaotically. Either he did not look up from his work for whole days, or he applied only a few strokes. He walked around the city, talked to ordinary people, watched the emotions on their faces.

The dimensions of the work are approximately 460x880 cm, it is located in the refectory of the monastery, on the back wall. Although it is often called a fresco, this is not entirely correct. After all, Leonardo da Vinci wrote his work not on wet plaster, but on dry plaster, so that he could edit it several times. To do this, the artist applied a thick layer of egg tempera to the wall.

The method of painting with oil paints turned out to be very short-lived. Ten years later, he and his students are trying to carry out the first restoration work. A total of eight restorations were made over the course of 300 years. As a result, new layers of paint were repeatedly applied to the painting, significantly distorting the original.

Today, in order to protect this delicate work from damage, the building maintains a constant temperature and humidity through special filtering devices. Admission at a time is limited to 25 people every 15 minutes, and entrance tickets must be booked in advance.

The iconic work of Da Vinci is surrounded by legends; a number of secrets and guesses are associated with it. We will present some of them.

Leonardo Da Vinci "The Last Supper"

1. It is believed that Leonardo da Vinci had the hardest time writing two characters: Jesus and Judas. The artist spent a long time searching for suitable models to embody the images of good and evil.

Jesus

One day Leonardo saw a young singer in the church choir - so spiritual and pure that there was no doubt: he had found the prototype of Jesus for his “Last Supper”. All that remained was to find Judas.

Judas

The artist spent hours wandering around the hot spots, but he got lucky only after almost 3 years. An absolutely deranged guy was lying in a ditch, in a state of severe alcoholic intoxication. He was brought to the workshop. And after the image of Judas was painted, the drunkard approached the picture and admitted that he had already seen it before. It turned out that three years ago he was completely different, he led a healthy lifestyle and sang in the church choir. And one day some artist approached him with a proposal to paint Christ from him.

2. The painting contains repeated references to the number three:

The apostles sit in groups of three;

Behind Jesus are three windows;

The contours of the figure of Christ resemble a triangle.

3. The figure of the disciple located at the right hand of Christ remains controversial. It is believed that this is Mary Magdalene and her location indicates the fact that she was the legal wife of Jesus. This fact is allegedly confirmed by the letter “M” (from “Matrimonio” - “marriage”), which is formed by the contours of the couple’s bodies. At the same time, some historians argue with this statement and insist that the signature of Leonardo da Vinci is visible in the picture - the letter “V”.

4. During World War II, on August 15, 1943, the refectory was bombed. The shell that hit the church building destroyed almost everything except the wall on which the fresco was depicted. Sandbags prevented bomb fragments from entering the painting, but vibration could have had a detrimental effect.

5. Historians and art historians study in detail not only the apostles, but also the food depicted on the table. For example, the biggest subject of controversy is still the fish in the painting. It is not determined whether what is painted on the fresco is a herring or an eel. Scientists see this as an encrypted hidden meaning. And all because in Italian “eel” is pronounced “aringa”. And “arringa” means instruction. At the same time, the word "herring" is pronounced in northern Italy as "renga", which means "one who denies religion."

There is no doubt that Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” still conceals many unsolved secrets. And as soon as they are solved, we will certainly write about it.

Date of creation: 1495-1497.
Type: tempera.
Dimensions: 460*880 cm.

Last Supper

One of the most famous masters of the Renaissance received a commission for a large-scale fresco depicting the Last Supper in the refectory of the Church of Santa Maria Grazie in Milan. It is obvious that Lodovico Sforza was the initiator of this order, since he wished to make a generous gift to the Dominican brotherhood. The coat of arms of the Sforza family can be seen in the arch located above the room where the Last Supper takes place.

Philip, Matthew, Judas Thaddeus.

In the first sketches of the composition, Vinci intended to depict the moment of handing over a piece of bread to Judas, which meant that Christ would be betrayed by this particular apostle. However, in the version that has come down to us, the concept has been changed. The master does not depict the fragment Holy Week Christ. Thanks to what scholars know about the preparatory phase of the fresco's creation, it is clear that Leonardo, in the final version of the work, chose to depict the moment of Judas's identification as a traitor.

Bartholomew, James the Younger, Andrew.

The painting depicts Christ at the Easter meal with the apostles. In the room behind Christ and the apostles there are three windows, from which a view of the surrounding landscape. Leonardo meticulously painted distant trees and hills: this landscape is reminiscent of Milanese landscapes. The artist managed to achieve the effect of a three-dimensional image by making the table part of the refectory wall. As it is written in the Gospel (Matthew 26: 17-29), the table for this supper was set with Passover dishes, fruits and wine. In Leonardo's fresco there are dishes with eel and oranges - the artist's favorite food. All the apostles sit along the table, on the side opposite from the viewer, which makes it possible to observe even their shoes under the table. The tablecloth is painted realistically and the dishes standing on it, to the right and left of the table, the edges of the tablecloth hang in exactly the same way.

Simon Peter (behind), Judas, John.

Leonardo divides 12 figures into 4 subgroups, three people each, creating a canvas where each of the heroes has individual traits: they scream, talk, turn, their faces express disbelief and confusion. The variety of angles, poses and gestures resemble an illustration of the physical laws of optics and dynamics. Like a drop falling into a stationary container of water, the words about the betrayal of one of the apostles upset the state of balance. This analogy, coupled with studies of Leonardo’s optics, makes us consider the fresco as a set of achievements of science and visual arts.

Thomas, James the Elder, Philip.

Christ

The figure of Christ is located in the center of the picture, as always in paintings based on the Gospel story. Leonardo depicts him as a young man. The calm expression on his face evokes surprise and distrust among the apostles that one of those gathered at this table would betray him. Leonardo conveys precisely this moment of the meal, contrasting the peace of Jesus with the excitement of his disciples, who look at each other, gesticulate, wondering which of them could decide to do this. Every now and then they turn to Christ with the question: “Isn’t it me, Lord?..” - and with a shudder of heart they wait for the answer. Leonardo places the figure of Christ in the center of the table. All composition lines the paintings converge at one point - towards the head of Christ, creating a centripetal perspective.

Arch

The central arch depicts the coat of arms of Lodovico Sforza and his wife, the inscription reads: LU(dovicus) MA(ria) BE(atrix) EST(ensis) SF(ortia) AN(glus) DUX (mediolani). In the arch on the left is the coat of arms of Lodovico's son Massimiliano with text. The text in the right arch is adjacent to the coat of arms of the Duke of Bari, belonging to Lodovico's second son, Francesco.

Fresco in our time

Fatal mistakes in early attempts to restore the painting had a detrimental effect on both the original colors of the fresco and on the expressions of faces and the outlines of figures. But the latest stage marked a new milestone in restoration methodology, and also shed light on some of the details hidden under the layers of paint applied after Leonardo put down his brush. In addition, it became known about complex experiments with lighting, about conceptual ideas regarding perspective.

Of course, a work of such scale, such detail and importance for both art and science, asks more questions than it answers, and also deserves a more detailed acquaintance with itself. Historians and art historians devote their lives to researching the masterpiece, gradually revealing some of the secrets of the fresco, but all the riddles and messages of the great Leonardo are unlikely to be deciphered.

Fresco "The Last Supper" updated: September 12, 2017 by: Gleb

If you try to remember masterpieces of painting that have been copied countless times, then one of the first in this series will be the fresco “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci. Written over two years, from 1495 to 1497, already during the Renaissance, it received about 20 “successors” of the same theme, written by masters of the brush from Spain, France and Germany.

It must be said that even before Leonardo, some Florentine artists had already used this plot in their work. Unfortunately, only the works of Giotto and Ghirlandaio have become known to modern art historians.

Leonardo da Vinci in Milan

Connoisseurs of painting, and especially the work of Leonardo da Vinci, have long known the location of the world famous fresco. But many fans still wonder where Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” is located. The answer to this will lead us to Milan.

The creative period dating back to the time of work in Milan, like the artist’s entire life, is shrouded in secrets and covered with many legends for hundreds of years.

Leonardo da Vinci, known as a lover of riddles, puzzles and secret codes, left behind great amount puzzles, some of which have still not been solved by scientists around the world. It may seem that both the life and work of the artist are a complete mystery.

Leonardo and Ludovico Sforza

The appearance of Leonardo in Milan is directly related to the name of Ludovico Maria Sforza, nicknamed Moro. An imperious ruler and talented figure in many fields, the Duke of Moreau in 1484 recruited Leonardo da Vinci, who had already become famous by that time, to serve. The artist's paintings and engineering talent attracted the attention of the visionary politician. He planned to use the young Leonardo as a hydraulic engineer, designer of civil structures and designer of military equipment. And he was not mistaken. The young engineer never ceased to amaze Moreau with his inventions. Such technical developments as new models of cannons and light weapons, the design of bridges unthinkable at that time, and mobile carts for military needs, invulnerable and impregnable, were proposed to the duke's court.

Milan. Temple of Santa Maria delle Grazie

By the time Leonardo appeared in Milan, construction of a Dominican monastery was already underway here. Having become the main architectural accent of the monastery complex, the temple of Santa Maria delle Grazie was completed under the direction of an Italian architect already famous at that time.

Duke Sforza planned to expand the area of the temple and place the tomb of his great family here. Leonardo da Vinci was brought in to work on biblical story"The Last Supper" in 1495. The place for the fresco was determined in the refectory of the temple.

Where can you see The Last Supper?

To make it easier to understand where Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” is located, you need to stand facing the temple from Corso Magenta and turn your gaze to the left side, the extension. Today it is a completely restored building. But the second World War did not skimp on destruction. Eyewitnesses said that after the air raids the temple was almost completely destroyed, and the fact that the fresco remained intact was called nothing less than a miracle.

Today, millions of art lovers flock to the place where Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” is located. Getting here is not so easy. During the tourist season, you need to book a place in a tour group in advance. And in order to preserve the masterpiece, visitors are allowed into the hall in small groups, and viewing time is limited to 15 minutes.

Long and painstaking work on the fresco

Work on creating the fresco progressed slowly. The artist worked chaotically, like all geniuses. Either he would not look up from his brush for several days, or, on the contrary, he would not touch it for days. Sometimes, right in broad daylight, he would drop everything he was doing and run to his work to make just one brush stroke. Art historians find several explanations for this. Firstly, the artist decided to choose the new kind paintings - not with tempera, but with oil paints. This made it possible to constantly make additions and correct images. Secondly, the constant refinement of the plot of the meal allowed the artist to once again endow the heroes of “The Last Supper” with associative secrets. Description of comparisons of the apostles with real characters, Leonardo’s contemporaries, today can be found in any art historical reference book.

Search for prototypes and inspiration

Taking daily walks in different quarters of the city, among merchants, the poor and even criminals, the artist peered into the faces, trying to find features that could be endowed with his characters. He could be found in a variety of taverns, sitting in the company of the poor and telling them his stories. entertaining stories. He was interested human emotions. As soon as he caught something interesting for himself, he immediately sketched it. History has managed to preserve some of the artist’s preparatory sketches for posterity.

Leonardo looked for inspiration and images for his future masterpiece not only among the faces on the streets of Milan, but also among his surroundings. His “employer” Sforza, who appeared in “The Last Supper” in the guise of Judas, was no exception. The legend says that the reason for this decision was the banal jealousy of the artist, who was secretly in love with the duke's favorite. Only a brave artist could make such a choice. “The Last Supper” has not only the secret codes of the prototypes, but also a unique lighting solution.

The picturesque light falling from the painted windows becomes truly realistic in combination with the frescoes from the window located on the adjacent wall. But today this effect cannot be observed, since the window on the wall is completely darkened in order to preserve the masterpiece.

The influence of time and the preservation of a masterpiece

Time quickly proved the wrong choice of painting technique. It only took two years for the artist to see his work greatly changed. The painting turned out to be short-lived. Leonardo da Vinci begins to carry out the first restoration of the fresco, but only after 10 years. He also involved his students in restoration work.

Over the course of 350 years, the place where Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper is located has undergone many reconstructions and alterations. An additional door, cut into the refectory by the monks in 1600, severely damaged the fresco, and by the 20th century, Jesus’ feet were completely erased.

Before World War II, the fresco was restored eight times. With each restoration work, new layers of paint were applied, and gradually the original was greatly distorted. Hard work art historians had to determine the original idea of Leonardo da Vinci. The artist’s paintings, drawings, and anatomical notes are kept in many museums around the world, but Milan is rightfully considered the owner of the only fully completed large-scale work by the artist.

The titanic work of modern restorers

In the 20th century, work on the restoration of the “Last Supper” was carried out using modern technologies. Gradually, layer by layer, restoration artists removed centuries-old dust and mold from the masterpiece.

Unfortunately, today it is recognized that only 2/3 of the original fresco remains, and half of the paints originally used by the artist are irretrievably lost. To prevent subsequent destruction of the fresco, today uniform humidity and air temperature are maintained in the refectory of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

The last one lasted 21 years. In May 1999, the world again saw the work of Leonardo da Vinci “The Last Supper”. Milan organized grandiose celebrations for spectators on the occasion of the unveiling of the fresco.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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Subtitles

We are located in the Church of Santa Maria della Grazie, in Milan. Before us is “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci. when Christ says: “Take my bread, this is my body. Take the wine, this is My Blood. And remember Me.", for example, a halo. The images themselves are majestic in this space. They are placed closely together, which conveys the energy and confusion surrounding the perfection, significance and geometric form of Christ. Right. The image of Christ forms an equilateral triangle. His head is the center of the circle. The window against which she is depicted is perceived as a halo., where Thomas's gesture points upward. As if saying: isn’t this predetermined by the Creator? Is it not intended by the Lord for one of us to betray you? However, of course, this pointing finger is an omen of the crucifixion of Christ, immersed in his wound. We also see Philip and Jacob of Zebedee.

They are in opposition: one spreads his arms wide, the other brings them together.

And if you compare it with early images of the Last Supper, you will notice that there is a distance between the figures.

The painting was commissioned by Leonardo from his patron, Duke Ludovico Sforza and his wife Beatrice d'Este. The lunettes above the painting, formed by a ceiling with three arches, are painted with the Sforza coat of arms. The painting began in 1495 and was completed in 1498; work proceeded intermittently. The date of the start of work is not exact, since “the archives of the monastery were destroyed, and the insignificant part of the documents that we have dates back to 1497, when the painting was almost completed.”

Three early copies of the painting are known to exist, presumably by Leonardo's assistant.

The painting became a milestone in the history of the Renaissance: the correctly reproduced depth of perspective changed the direction of the development of Western painting.

Technique

Leonardo painted The Last Supper on a dry wall, not on wet plaster, so the painting is not a fresco in the true sense of the word. The fresco could not be altered while it was in progress, and Leonardo decided to cover the stone wall with a layer of resin, gabs and mastic, and then paint over this layer with tempera.

Figures depicted

The apostles are depicted in groups of three, located around the figure of Christ sitting in the center. Groups of apostles, from left to right:

Bartholomew, Jacob Alfeev and Andrey;
Judas Iscariot (clothed in green and blue flowers), Peter and John ;
Thomas, James Zebedee and Philip;
Matthew, Jude Thaddeus and Simon.

In the 19th century they were found notebooks Leonardo da Vinci with the names of the apostles; previously only Judas, Peter, John and Christ had been identified with certainty.

Analysis of the picture

The work is believed to depict the moment when Jesus utters the words that one of the apostles will betray him (“ and while they were eating, he said, “Truly I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”"), and the reaction of each of them.

Jesus' gesture can be interpreted in two ways. According to the Bible, Jesus predicts that his betrayer will reach out to eat at the same time as him. Judas reaches for the dish, not noticing that Jesus is also stretching out his right hand to him. At the same time, Jesus points to bread and wine, symbolizing the sinless body and shed blood respectively.

The figure of Jesus is positioned and illuminated in such a way that the viewer's attention is drawn primarily to him. The head of Jesus is at a vanishing point for all lines of perspective.

The painting contains repeated references to the number three:

the apostles sit in groups of three;
behind Jesus there are three windows;
the contours of the figure of Christ resemble a triangle.

The light illuminating the entire scene does not come from the windows painted behind, but comes from the left, like the real light from the window on the left wall.

In many places in the picture there is a golden ratio; for example, where Jesus and John, who is on his right, put their hands, the canvas is divided in this ratio.

Damage and restoration

Already in 1517, the paint of the painting began to peel off due to moisture. In 1556, biographer Leonardo Vasari described the painting as being badly damaged and so deteriorated that the figures were almost unrecognizable. In 1652, a doorway was made through the painting, later blocked with bricks; it can still be seen in the middle of the base of the painting. Early copies suggest that Jesus' feet were in a position symbolizing his impending crucifixion. In 1668, a curtain was hung over the painting for protection; instead, it blocked the evaporation of moisture from the surface, and when the curtain was pulled back, it scratched the peeling paint.

The first restoration was undertaken in 1726 by Michelangelo Belotti, who filled in the missing areas with oil paint and then varnished the fresco. This restoration did not last long, and another was undertaken in 1770 by Giuseppe Mazza. Mazza cleaned up Belotti's work and then extensively rewrote the mural: he rewrote all but three faces, and then was forced to stop the work due to public outrage. In 1796, French troops used the refectory as an armory; they threw stones at the paintings and climbed ladders to scratch out the apostles’ eyes. The refectory was then used as a prison. In 1821 Stefano Barezzi, known for his ability to remove frescoes from walls with extreme care, was invited to move the painting to a safer place; he seriously damaged the central section before realizing that Leonardo's work was not a fresco. Barezzi attempted to reattach the damaged areas with glue. From 1901 to 1908, Luigi Cavenaghi carried out the first thorough study of the structure of the painting, and then Cavenaghi began clearing it. In 1924, Oreste Silvestri carried out further clearing and stabilized some parts with plaster.

During the Second World War, on August 15, 1943, the refectory was bombed. Sandbags prevented bomb fragments from entering the painting, but vibration could have had a detrimental effect.

In 1951-1954, Mauro Pelliccoli carried out another restoration with clearing and stabilization.

Criticism

Most artists (Leonardo da Vinci, Tintoretto, etc.) depict the apostles sitting on chairs, which does not correspond to Eastern, Palestinian traditions, and only Alexander Ivanov depicted them sitting truthfully - sitting in an Eastern way.

Main restoration

In the 1970s, the painting looked badly damaged. From 1978 to 1999, under the leadership of Pinin Brambilla Barchilon, a large-scale restoration project was carried out, the goal of which was to permanently stabilize the painting and get rid of the damage caused by pollution and improper restorations of the 18th and 19th centuries. Since it was impractical to move the painting to a quieter environment, the refectory itself was converted into such a sealed and climate-controlled environment, which required bricking up the windows. Detailed research was then carried out to determine the original form of the painting using infrared reflectoscopy and studies of core samples, as well as original cartons from the Royal Library of Windsor Castle. Some areas were considered beyond restoration. They were re-painted in watercolors in muted colors to show, without distracting the viewer's attention, that they were not an original work.

The restoration took 21 years. On May 28, 1999, the painting was opened for viewing. Visitors must reserve tickets in advance and are limited to 15 minutes in the refectory. When the fresco was unveiled, heated debate arose over the dramatic changes in colors, tones and even the ovals of the faces of several figures. James Beck, a professor of art history at Columbia University and founder of ArtWatch International, had a particularly harsh assessment of the work.

In popular culture

The mural is shown in the documentary series “Life after People” - after a quarter of a century, many elements of the mural will be erased over time, and after 60 years without people, 15 percent of the paint from the fresco will remain, and even then they will be overgrown with moss.”
In the video for the song “Tits” by the Leningrad group, there is a scene where a parody of the painting is shown.
The video for the song "HUMBLE" by Kendrick Lamar also contains a parody of the painting.