The Last Supper (fresco by Leonardo da Vinci). Secrets of Leonardo da Vinci's fresco "The Last Supper" The Last Supper secrets

“The Last Supper” is certainly one of the most mysterious works of the brilliant Leonardo da Vinci, with which only his “La Gioconda” can compete in terms of the number of rumors and speculations.

After the publication of the novel “The Da Vinci Code”, the fresco decorating the refectory of the Milan Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie (Chiesa e Convento Domenicano di Santa Maria delle Grazie) attracted the attention of not only art history researchers, but also lovers of all kinds of conspiracy theories . In today's article, I will try to answer the most popular questions regarding the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.

1. WHAT IS THE CORRECT CALL OF LEONARDO’S “THE LAST SUPPER”?

Surprisingly, “The Last Supper” only in the Russian version has this name; in the languages ​​of other countries, the biblical event depicted in Leonardo’s fresco, and the fresco itself has a much less poetic, but very meaningful name, “The Last Supper,” that is, Ultima Cena in Italian or The Last Supper in English. In principle, the name more accurately reflects the essence of what is happening on the wall painting, because before us is not a secret meeting of conspirators, but the last supper of Christ with the apostles. The second name of the fresco in Italian is Il Cenacolo, which simply translates as “the refectory.”

2. HOW DID THE IDEA OF WRITING THE LAST SUPPER ARISE?

Before answering this question, it is necessary to provide some clarity regarding the laws by which the art market lived in the fifteenth century. In fact, there was no free art market at that time; artists and sculptors worked only if they received orders from rich and influential families or from the Vatican. As you know, Leonardo da Vinci began his career in Florence; many believe that he had to leave the city because of accusations of homosexuality, but, in fact, everything was most likely much more prosaic. It’s just that Leonardo had a very strong competitor in Florence - Michelangelo, who enjoyed the enormous favor of Lorenzo de’ Medici the Magnificent and took all the most interesting orders for himself. Leonardo arrived in Milan at the invitation of Ludovico Sforza and stayed in Lombardy for 17 years.

In the illustration: Ludovico Sforza and Beatrice d'Este

All these years, da Vinci not only engaged in art, but also designed his famous military vehicles, strong and lightweight bridges and even mills, and was also the artistic director of public events. For example, it was Leonardo da Vinci who organized the wedding of Bianca Maria Sforza (Ludovico’s niece) with Emperor Maximilian I of Innsbruck, and, of course, he also arranged the wedding of Ludovico Sforza himself with the young Beatrice d’Este, one of the most beautiful princesses of the Italian Renaissance. Beatrice d'Este was from wealthy Ferrara, and her younger brother. The princess was well educated, her husband idolized her not only for her amazing beauty, but also for her sharp mind, and, in addition, contemporaries noted that Beatrice was a very energetic person, she took an active part in government affairs and patronized artists.

In the photo: Santa Maria delle Grazie (Chiesa e Convento Domenicano di Santa Maria delle Grazie)

It is believed that the idea to decorate the refectory of the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie with paintings on the theme of the last supper of Christ with the apostles belongs to her. Beatrice's choice fell on this Dominican monastery for one simple reason - the monastery church was, by the standards of the fifteenth century, a structure that surpassed the imagination of people of that time, so the refectory of the monastery deserved to be decorated by the hand of a master. Unfortunately, Beatrice d'Este herself never saw the Last Supper fresco; she died in childbirth at a very young age, she was only 22 years old.

3. HOW MANY YEARS DID LEONARDO DA VINCI WRITE THE LAST SUPPER?

There is no correct answer to this question; it is generally accepted that work on the painting began in 1495, continued intermittently, and was completed by Leonardo around 1498, that is, the next year after the death of Beatrice d’Este. However, since the archives of the monastery were destroyed, the exact date of the start of work on the fresco is unknown, one can only assume that it could not have begun before 1491, since that year the marriage of Beatrice and Ludovico Sforza took place, and, if one is guided by the few documents that have survived to this day, then, judging by them, the painting was at the final stage already in 1497.

4. IS “THE LAST SUPPER” BY LEONARDO DA VINCI A FRESCO IN THE STRICT UNDERSTANDING OF THIS TERM?

No, in the strict sense it is not. The fact is that this type of painting implies that the artist must paint quickly, that is, work on wet plaster and immediately finish the final piece. For Leonardo, who was very meticulous and did not immediately recognize the work in its entirety, this was completely unacceptable, so da Vinci invented a special primer made from resin, gabs and mastic and wrote “The Last Supper” dry. On the one hand, he was able to make numerous changes to the painting, but on the other hand, it was precisely because of painting on a dry surface that the canvas began to deteriorate very quickly.

5. WHAT MOMENT IS DEPICTED IN LEONARDO’S “THE LAST SUPPER”?

The moment when Christ says that one of the disciples will betray him, the artist focuses on the reaction of the disciples to his words.

6. WHO SITS ON THE RIGHT HAND OF CHRIST: THE APOSTLE JOHN OR MARY MAGDALENE?

There is no definite answer to this question; the rule strictly applies here: whoever believes in what, sees what. Moreover, the current state of “The Last Supper” is very far from how da Vinci’s contemporaries saw the fresco. But, it is worth saying, Leonardo’s contemporaries were not surprised or outraged by the figure on the right hand of Christ. The fact is that in the frescoes on the theme of the “Last Supper” the figure on the right hand of Christ was always very feminine; it is worth looking, for example, at the fresco “The Last Supper” by one of Luini’s sons, which can be seen in the Milan Basilica of St. Maurizio.

In the photo: “The Last Supper” in the Basilica of San Maurizio

Here the figure in the same position again looks very feminine, in a word, one of two things turns out: either all the artists of Milan were in a secret conspiracy and depicted Mary Magdalene at the Last Supper, or it is simply an artistic tradition to depict John as a feminine youth. Decide for yourself.

7. WHAT IS THE INNOVATION OF “THE LAST SUPPER”, WHY IS IT SAID THAT LEONARDO COMPLETELY DEPARTED FROM THE CLASSICAL CANON?

First of all, in realism. The fact is that, when creating his masterpiece, Leonardo decided to deviate from the canons of painting on biblical themes that existed at that time; he wanted to achieve such an effect that the monks dining in the hall would physically feel the presence of the Savior. That is why all household items were copied from those objects that were in use by the monks of the Dominican monastery: the same tables at which Leonardo’s contemporaries ate, the same utensils, the same dishes, yes, what’s there, even the landscape outside the window is reminiscent of the view from the windows refectory as it was in the fifteenth century.

In the photo: mirror image of “The Last Supper”

But that is not all! The fact is that the rays of light on the fresco are a continuation of the real sunlight falling through the windows of the refectory; in many places of the painting there is a golden ratio, and thanks to the fact that Leonardo was able to correctly reproduce the depth of perspective, the fresco after completion of the work was voluminous, that is, in fact, it was made with a 3D effect. Unfortunately, now, this effect can only be seen from one point in the hall, the coordinates of the desired point: 9 meters deep into the hall from the fresco and approximately 3 meters above the current floor level.

8. WHO DID LEONARDO WRITE CHRIST, JUDAS AND OTHER FRESCO CHARACTERS?

All the characters in the fresco were painted from Leonardo’s contemporaries; they say that the artist constantly walked the streets of Milan and looked for suitable types, which even caused the displeasure of the abbot of the monastery, who felt that the artist did not spend enough time at work. As a result, Leonardo informed the abbot that if he did not stop bothering him, then the portrait of Judas would be painted from him. The threat had an effect, and the abbot of the maestro did not interfere anymore. For the image of Judas, the artist could not find a type for a very long time until he met a suitable person on the street of Milan.

Judas on the Last Supper fresco

When Leonardo brought the extra to his studio, it turned out that the same man had posed for da Vinci’s image of Christ a few years earlier, he just sang in the church choir and looked completely different. This is such a cruel irony! In light of this information, the well-known historical anecdote that the man from whom Leonardo painted Judas told everyone that he was depicted at the Last Supper in the image of Christ takes on a completely different meaning.

9. IS THERE A PORTRAIT OF LEONARDO HIMSELF IN THE FRESCO?

There is a theory that the Last Supper also contains a self-portrait of Leonardo; supposedly the artist is present in the fresco in the image of the Apostle Thaddeus - this is the second figure from the right.

The image of the Apostle Thaddeus on the fresco and portraits of Leonardo da Vinci

The truth of this statement is still in question, but an analysis of Leonardo’s portraits clearly demonstrates a strong external resemblance to the image in the fresco.

10. HOW ARE THE “THE LAST SUPPER” AND THE NUMBER 3 CONNECTED?

Another mystery of “The Last Supper” is the constantly repeating number 3: there are three windows on the fresco, the apostles are located in groups of three, even the contours of the figure of Jesus resemble a triangle. And, I must say, this is not at all accidental, because the number 3 constantly appears in the New Testament. It’s not just about the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit, the number 3 also runs through the entire description of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

Three wise men brought gifts to the born Jesus in Nazareth, 33 years - the period of Christ's earthly life, also according to the New Testament, the Son of God had to be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40), that is, Jesus was in hell from the evening Friday to Sunday morning, in addition, the Apostle Peter denied Jesus Christ three times before the rooster crowed (by the way, this prediction was also made at the Last Supper), three crosses stood on Calvary, and Christ rose again in the morning on the third day after the crucifixion.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION:

Tickets to attend the Last Vespers must be booked in advance, but rumors that they need to be booked six months in advance are greatly exaggerated. In fact, a month or even three weeks before the intended visit, free tickets for the required dates are usually available. You can order tickets on the website: the cost depends on the season, in winter a visit to the Last Supper costs 8 euros, in summer - 12 euros (prices according to information for 2016). In addition, now near the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie you can often see resellers selling tickets with a markup of 2-3 euros, so if you are lucky, you can get there by accident. Photographing the fresco is prohibited; entry is strictly at the time indicated on the ticket.

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Yulia Malkova- Yulia Malkova - founder of the website project. In the past, he was the editor-in-chief of the elle.ru Internet project and the editor-in-chief of the cosmo.ru website. I talk about travel for my own pleasure and the pleasure of my readers. If you are a representative of hotels or a tourism office, but we do not know each other, you can contact me by email: [email protected]

Vyacheslav Adrov:

Announcement...

In Milan, in the Church of Santa Maria della Grazie there is a famous fresco that has haunted numerous researchers of the personality of its author for hundreds of years. Since this is Leonardo himself, it is believed that there must be some kind of secret or, at least, a riddle in his work. There are many ideas and versions known about the secret messages contained in the fresco. For example, Dan Brown's version, which caused a lot of noise in the art world. I, like everyone else, took a close look at the image and, guess what, it seems to me that I understood its additional meaning (if it was intended)! And Dan Brown's version is just a superficial reaction to the detail necessary to reflect the author's holistic intent. Moreover, there is a detail (a effeminate figure next to Christ) that carries a completely different meaning. No hints about the life partner of Christ!

In order to preserve the emotionality and dynamics of thoughts, I decided to write down thoughts and intellectual impulses as they arise and are realized. Thus, I maintained the atmosphere of research, writing down the next portion of mental developments; I still don’t know whether they will be useful in the future and, generally speaking, how will it all end? Will there be any interesting results? That's why the genre is indicated in the subtitle.

The mystery of Leonardo da Vinci's fresco "The Last Supper"

(detective investigation of one biased viewing of the famous fresco)

Part 1.

I start as usual. Returning from another trip organized by the “7 Peaks Club”, sitting in a rocking chair, wrapped in a blanket, looking at the raging fiery tongues of the fireplace stove and sipping... (insert yourself: pipe, cigar, cognac, Calvados,...), I thought about and I assessed the results of the trip and prepared for the next one. And then a reproduction of the fresco “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci caught my eye (or popped into my imagination). As befits a normal traveler, I, of course, was in that very refectory of the monastery of Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan. And, of course, I admired (and now even more so) one of the master’s greatest creations (although almost nothing is visible on it, photo 1).

Briefly, to refresh your memory. The fresco (although, in fact, this image is not a fresco due to the peculiarities of the technology for its creation) has dimensions of 450 * 870 cm and was created in the period from 1495 to 1498 by order of Duke Ludovico Sforza and his wife Beatrice d'Este. Because it was not created like a typical fresco - painted with egg tempera on a dry wall covered with layers of resin, plaster and mastic - it began to deteriorate very early and was restored many times. At the same time, the attitude of restorers towards it was not always distinguished by such reverence as is customary now - faces and figures were corrected, various technologies for applying paint and protective coating were used. When trying to move it to another place in 1821, it was almost destroyed. There is nothing to say about the attitude of the French occupiers towards it, who set up an armory and prison prisoners in the monastery (there was such an episode in the history of the refectory).

A little about the plot. It is inspired by the biblical story of Jesus' last dinner with his disciples, where he said that one of those present would betray him. According to most art critics, Leonardo’s work most expressively of all similar works on this subject conveys the degree of the apostles’ emotional reaction to these words of Jesus.

How long has this fresco existed (more than 500 years), for the same number of years researchers and interpreters have been studying this work, finding or trying to find secret signs, symbols, riddles, messages,... There is surprise at the quality of the conveyed perspective, evidence of the use of the golden ratio, the search for the secret of the number 3 (3 windows, 3 groups of apostles, triangle figure of Christ). Someone sees on the fresco an image of Mary Magdalene (with the female symbol V and the symbol M associated with her name - this is about Dan Brown), or John the Baptist with his favorite gesture - the index finger raised up. I'm interested in all this, but not very much. As our man - an engineer - Leonardo must be practical, although the historical situation makes its own adjustments to the need to use the “Aesopian language”, and he could leave a DATE on his work! Which one? This is his choice, but the date is important for himself or for the entire World of the event. And I started looking for it in the image!

Let me remind you that the most reliable way of fixing dates, which does not depend on chronology systems, calendar reforms, the duration of the reigns of kings and dukes, the founding and destruction of cities, and even assigning the date of the creation of the World, is by the stars, i.e., drawing up a horoscope! And this method was widely used not only in the Middle Ages. You may ask why I suddenly decided that there might be a date on the image? It seems to me that the author gladly took advantage of the great chance associated with the number 12. 12 hours, 12 months, 12 signs of the Zodiac, 12 apostles,... Well, I’ll also say about the horoscope. It uniquely determines the date if the locations of even seven planets visible to the naked eye in the constellations at the time of observation are indicated. Repetitions of such combinations are very rare and occur after hundreds of thousands of years! (With a smaller number of accurately indicated planets, the repetition period is shorter, but there are still very high chances of accurately indicating the date in the historical period.) Since modern calculation methods based on the laws of celestial mechanics make it possible to restore the position of the planets in the sky at any moment, then to determine date, all that remains is to correctly set the initial data - that is, the location of the planets according to the constellations on the desired day.

So, I begin to peer and examine.

Apostles. Most likely (due to their number) these are symbols of the zodiac signs. But how can signs be distributed between characters, and who corresponds to which sign? Several comments immediately arise.

In many images of this plot, including icons, judging by the appearance of the characters, not only is the seating order inconsistent, but they also sit either in a row, sometimes in a circle, sometimes in groups, that is, there seems to be no canonical (traditional) order For a long time, they could not identify all the characters in the image of Leonardo. Only four were reliably identified (out of 13!): Judas, John, Peter and Christ. Allegedly, in the 19th century, the diaries of Leonardo himself were “discovered” and everything was determined (there were also clues in the form of signatures under the characters on some modern copies of the fresco). Due to the dynamic arrangement of the figures - their “mixing”, “peeking out” from behind each other friend - there is a possibility that the constellations (if they are there) are not in zodiacal order.

One way or another, in accordance with prevailing ideas, the fresco depicts (from left to right, in the order of the FACES):

Bartholomew, Jacob Alpheus, Andrew, Judas Iscariot, Peter, John, Jesus Christ, Thomas, James Zebedee, Philip, Matthew, Judas Thaddeus, Simon.

To identify signs by which one could recognize allusions to the signs of the zodiac in the apostles, I tried to collect available factual information about the biographies of the characters, not yet knowing what of this might be useful (Table 1):

Their other names and nicknames;

The order of calling by Christ (only the first four are known);

Approximate age based on visual assessment of images (more based on a copy by an unknown artist (photo 2);

The degree of kinship with Christ and the other apostles (who is interested in this topic, I recommend literature, except, of course, the Gospels: James D. Tabor “The Dynasty of Jesus” (AST, 2007), Michael Baigent “The Papers of Jesus” (Exmo, 2008), Robert Ambelain “ Jesus or the Deadly Secrets of the Templars" (Eurasia, 2005), V. G. Nosovsky, A. T. Fomenko "Tsar of the Slavs" (Neva, 2005), "Apocryphal Tales (Patriarchs, Prophets and Apostles)" edited by V. Vitkovsky (Amphora, 2005));

The occupation of the apostles before their ministry;

Circumstances of death;

Location of the graves and relics of the apostles.

I invite those who wish to clarify and add details to fill out the table more completely - it is very entertaining, and the information may be useful.

Finding information to fill out this table was a very interesting and educational process, but it did not give me any of the ideas I needed!

Let's continue. Since Leonardo arranged the apostles in groups of 3 people, and even mixed them up there, then maybe the order of the signs is not important for him? What if we play around with these threes - these are groupings of signs by types of elements?! Fire, earth, air, water? And what - 4 groups of 3 signs! Or maybe we should take into account the figure of Christ as a sign of the zodiac, and exclude Judas from consideration altogether!? After all, in almost all images of the Last Supper, artists separated Judas from the rest - either painted with very dark colors, or turned his face away from the viewer, or, as in the icons, deprived him, unlike the others, of a halo. And then - what sign can the figure of Christ represent? Maybe his sign is Capricorn? Then the division into groups seems to be broken and the division into groups itself loses its meaning (if there is one). Yes, and Leonardo’s Judas is not very humiliated by visual means. He, like 7 (!) other of the 12 apostles, is depicted in profile, but only slightly more turned away from the viewer.

Let's look further at the details of the image. Items on the table: maybe there are clues somewhere - filling and placement of glasses, placement of breads, plates, salt shakers, other items,...? Elements, colors of clothing,...? Hairstyles, degree of gray hair, presence and length of beard, ...? Stop! Beard! There are seven visible planets in total that were known before the invention of Galileo’s tube, together with the Sun and Moon, and also Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Thus, the maximum number of pointers to the planets is 7. We count the beards: in total, of different lengths, there are 8 of them. Together with the beard of Jesus. But maybe his beard shouldn’t be counted? I wonder who then is the Sun if not him?! Let's go further - hands. Who's holding what? Maybe some combinations on the fingers? Their relative position? We fill out the table further so that it is always before our eyes. Maybe not right away, but something will open up?

I'm rocking in a chair, sipping... Or maybe the bearded ones are after all planets, and, for example, some kind of comet? But, of the seven planets, two are feminine: Venus and the Moon, it’s somehow difficult to associate them with beards. Let's take a closer look at the apostles: the artist gave two figures a clear effeminate appearance: John and Philip - both their faces and poses with crossed arms. Maybe this is a hint at “female planets”? I’m rocking in my chair again: Leonardo da Vinci during his lifetime did not intend to be famous for centuries and wrote the fresco for the Customer and his contemporaries, so that with a little mental strain they could understand his additional message (except for the semantic and aesthetic).

What's in Judas's hand? And Peter’s too? No, Judas apparently has a bag of silver, which he will soon receive, and Peter has a knife, probably as a symbol of his future (ostentatious?) determination in the process of detaining Jesus. All this is semantic attributes.

Still, we need to decide. I'm putting forward a hypothesis. The viewer's gaze is instinctively drawn to the figure of Jesus - this is God, this is the Sun! On his right hand is a young, but very energetic and aggressive man (John), whom Jesus, like his brother Jacob of Zebedee, called Boanerges (Boanerges) - apparently, “very, twice as energetic”! They reacted very aggressively and sometimes with anger to injustice, humiliation and insults and to things that were not going the way they would like! Moreover, completely in the style of the Caucasians, so that Christ had to restrain them! (this is where the previously collected information in table 1 came in handy -

This implies that they had appropriate hormonal levels and secondary sexual characteristics. And how we see this aggressive person in Leonardo - yes, she is a humble girl, such that some (Dan Brown) consider her a woman - Mary Magdalene! With such an obvious discrepancy, Leonardo hints - this is the constellation Virgo! And now let us once again pay attention to Jacob of Zebedee, whose figure (and NOT FACE) is closest to the left of Christ. He spread his arms in different directions. According to commentators, he restrains the apostles who emotionally perceived the words of Christ (or, perhaps, physically protects Jesus from a possible uncontrolled release of energy (that’s him, Boanerges!). And what do I see? With his spread arms, he looks like... Libra! !! Then it turns out that Jesus the Sun is located between the constellations Virgo and Libra! And all the signs are lined up in the usual order - from Aries to Pisces! And where are the other planets besides the Sun? I get up to move to the rocking chair. I glance at laid out tables, printouts of the fresco. Mama Mia! (I hit myself on the forehead!) Yes, here they are, the signs of the planets!!! Simply obvious! In the most visible place! No racking your brains! I’ll write now. Eh, the ink in the pen is out! I’ll go fill it up hand, and I’ll rock a little in the chair. Will you wait?

I draw your attention - since we identified Jacob the Elder with Libra, this means that the constellations are not distributed in the order of the PERSONS, but in the order of the seated FIGURES!

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 a fragment of Christ's Holy Week. 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 opens. 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 distrust 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 Leonardo’s research into optics, forces us to consider the fresco as a set of achievements of science and fine art.

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: “Is it not I, 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 the compositional lines of the picture 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

Artist, scientist, writer, engineer, architect, inventor and humanist, a true Renaissance man, Leonardo near the Italian town of Vinci, in 1452. For almost 20 years (from 1482 to 1499) he “worked” for the Duke of Milan, Louis Sforza. It was during this period of his life that The Last Supper was written. Da Vinci died in 1519 in France, where he was invited by King Francis I.

Innovation of composition

The plot of the painting “The Last Supper” has been used in painting more than once. According to the Gospel, during Jesus' last meal together, "it is true that one of you will betray me." Artists usually depicted the apostles at this moment gathered around a round or square table, but Leonardo wanted to show not only Jesus as the central figure, he wanted to depict the reaction of everyone present to the Master’s phrase. Therefore, he chose a linear composition, allowing all the characters to be depicted from the front or in profile. In traditional icon painting before Leonardo, it was also customary to depict Jesus breaking bread with Judas and John clinging to the chest of Christ. With this composition, the artists tried to emphasize the idea of ​​betrayal and redemption. Da Vinci violated this canon as well.

Canvases depicting the Last Supper were painted in the traditional manner by Giotto, Duccio and Sassetta.

Leonardo makes Jesus Christ the center of the composition. The dominant position of Jesus is emphasized by the empty space around him, the windows behind him, the objects in front of Christ are ordered, while chaos reigns on the table in front of the apostles. The apostles are divided into “threes” by the artist. Bartholomew, Jacob and Andrew are sitting on the left, Andrey raised his hands in a gesture indicating denial. Next come Jude, Peter and John. Judas's face is hidden in the shadows, in his hands is a canvas bag. The femininity of the figure and face of John, who fainted from the news, has led numerous interpreters to suggest that this is Mary Magdalene, and not the apostle. Sitting behind Jesus are Thomas, James and Philip, they are all turned to Jesus and seem to expect clarification from him, the last group is Matthew, Thaddeus and Simon.

The plot of the work “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown is largely based on the similarity of the Apostle John with a woman.

Legend of Judas

In order to accurately paint the emotions that gripped the apostles, Leonardo not only made numerous sketches, but also carefully selected sitters. The painting, measuring 460 by 880 centimeters, was painted over three years, from 1495 to 1498. The first to be painted was the figure of Christ, for which, according to legend, a young singer with a spiritual face posed. Jude was to be written last. For a long time Da Vinci could not find a person whose face would bear the corresponding stamp of vice, until luck smiled at him and he, in one of the prisons, met a fairly young, but degenerate and seemingly extremely depraved man. After he finished painting Judas from him, the sitter asked:
- Master, don’t you remember me? Several years ago you painted Christ from me for this fresco.
Serious art critics refute the veracity of this legend.

Dry plaster and restorations

Before Leonardo da Vinci, all artists painted frescoes on wet plaster. It was important to finish the painting before it dried. Since Leonardo wanted to carefully and painstakingly write out the smallest details, as well as the emotions of the characters, he decided to paint “The Last Supper” on dry plaster. First he covered the wall with a layer of resin and mastic, then with chalk and tempera. The method did not justify itself, although it allowed the artist to work with the degree of detail he needed. Not even a few decades had passed before the paint began to crumble. The first serious damage was written about already in 1517. In 1556, the famous art historian Giorgio Vasari argued that the fresco was hopelessly damaged.

In 1652, the painting was barbarically damaged by monks who made a doorway in the lower center of the fresco. It is only thanks to a copy of the painting previously made by an unknown artist that one can now see not only the original details lost due to the destruction of the plaster, but also the destroyed part. Since the 18th century, numerous attempts have been made to preserve and restore the great work, but all of them did not benefit the painting. A striking example of this is the curtain with which the fresco was closed in 1668. It caused moisture to accumulate on the wall, which caused the paint to peel even more. In the 20th century, all the most modern achievements of science were thrown to the aid of the great creation. From 1978 to 1999, the painting was closed for viewing and restorers worked on it, trying to minimize the damage caused by dirt, time, and the efforts of past “guardians” and stabilize the painting from further destruction. For this purpose, the refectory was sealed as much as possible, and an artificial environment was maintained in it. Since 1999, visitors have been allowed to attend the Last Supper, but only by appointment for no more than 15 minutes.

“The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most famous images of the last meal of Jesus Christ with his disciples. He began work on it in 1495 or 1496, and finished it in 1498. This Renaissance masterpiece has been praised, studied and copied for over 500 years, and the fresco itself is still on the wall of the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. Edition Business Insider talked about it with historian and author of the book “Leonardo da Vinci and the Last Supper” Ross King.

At one time the fresco was very popular

Despite the fact that today da Vinci is known as the author of various inventions, manuscripts, drawings and sketches, it was “The Last Supper” that ensured his fame during his lifetime. According to King, the image immediately became very popular in Europe. “It was the most copied painting of the next century. Not only paint was used, but also marble, wax and ceramics. Everyone wanted their own version. Leonardo finally created the work he dreamed of so much and which brought him fame,” he noted.

The composition is based on the rule of thirds. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The fresco depicts the reaction of the apostles to the words of Jesus: “And Truly I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” King noted that Da Vinci, more than anyone else, did justice to this episode. “He grouped the 13 figures in the image so that each would stand out with its gestures, but without distracting from the overall effect,” the historian added. Each of the figures turned out to be unique and memorable, and all thanks to the details.

The fresco miraculously managed to survive

“The Last Supper” has survived bombing, dampness and centuries of environmental damage. When asked why this 15th-century image is still so revered today, King replies that its preservation is almost a miracle. “Even a hundred years ago it was considered lost forever. And after the recent restoration we can appreciate its beauty. Even with some damage, it is a beautiful picture,” he added.

Several times the “Last Supper” was on the verge of destruction

There have been many dangers in the history of frescoes. When King Louis XII invaded Milan in 1499, he intended to cut the image from the cathedral wall and take it with him. By the middle of the 16th century, the fresco was considered completely destroyed due to moisture and delamination of paint.

In 1796, the French encroached on it again. This time in the face of the French Revolution. Then the troops used the monastery refectory as their base and expressed their anti-church thoughts in front of the image.

However, this is not all bad in his story. The city authorities used this premises to hold prisoners. In the 19th century, some people with good intentions tried to restore the fresco, but their attempt almost ended with the painting being torn into two parts. However, the most dramatic incident occurred on August 15, 1943, when Allied troops bombed the building. And although most of the church turned into a pile of rubble, “The Last Supper” remained unscathed.

It all started differently

Da Vinci began work on the fresco at a very inopportune time. Just a year before the start of the project, Louis XII started the First Italian War. “It was a terrible tragedy for Italy, the beginning of decades of occupation and struggle. For the artist, these events meant the loss of a commission that he had been working on for about 10 years - a huge bronze rider on a horse,” says King.

In those days, bronze was collected and melted into weapon steel. Da Vinci not only lost money due to the war, but also possible fame and reputation in artistic circles, which he so badly wanted to achieve. As compensation, he received an order for “The Last Supper,” although this did not seem to him a very good replacement.

Da Vinci thought he would never create a masterpiece again

“Now Leonardo is considered a genius who can do anything. But he had his disappointments and failures. In 1499 he was 42 years old. At the time, many contemporaries believed that he had wasted his potential. He was unable to complete several orders, as a result of which people began to consider the artist unreliable,” the historian comments. One of the poets mocked Da Vinci because he barely finished one painting in 10 years. Therefore, he really wanted to create something that would bring him fame and reputation among future generations. He managed to get all this after the Last Supper.

Da Vinci created a fresco on top of his early works

Thus, one of the apostles recalls one of his early works. Da Vinci was always on the lookout for interesting faces to capture. According to King, one of them can be found in the image Jacob Zebedee.

“He spreads his arms and looks at the bread and wine with his mouth open. There used to be a beautiful red chalk drawing there, created 5 years before. This posture indicates that in the place of the apostle there was a musician playing a stringed instrument. Leonardo loved music very much and made a similar sketch. Ten years later he used it for the figure of Jacob,” continues King.

Despite popular speculation, Mary Magdalene is most likely not in the image

For many years there has been speculation that it is Mary Magdalene who is depicted to the right of Jesus, and not John the Theologian. However, King believes that this is not the case. “John the Evangelist was the youngest apostle, who was always depicted behind Jesus - without a beard and slightly androgynous. Leonardo adhered to this description, because this was the ideal of beauty that constantly appeared in his work,” King notes.

According to the historian, Mary Magdalene did sometimes appear in some paintings depicting the Last Supper. For example, the Italian artist Fra Beato Angelico, in one of the frescoes in the monastery of San Marco in Florence, shows her preparing for communion along with the other apostles. Therefore, there is nothing surprising or strange in her appearances in such paintings. However, in this case, there is no need to look for her image.

Like other hidden symbols

“I am suspicious of the idea of ​​hidden messages and codes in Renaissance paintings. There are many things in them that we cannot understand or appreciate after 500 years, for example, the gestures of the apostles. Each of them may have its own meaning, but we will never know it,” says King.

He also advises against taking conspiracy theories in Dan Brown novels too seriously. In his opinion, da Vinci only wanted to convey emotions and drama, and not some secret symbols. This is the obsession of our age, not his.

However, the fresco contains several references to the life of the artist himself.

You may forget about hidden symbols and encrypted messages, but this does not mean that there are no interesting details on the fresco. King believes that the images of the apostles are in many ways reminiscent of da Vinci’s friends and his contemporaries, and the fresco can in part be considered an image of the entourage of Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan and the customer. Additionally, the tapestries in the fresco are reminiscent of the tapestries in his residence.

In the fresco, da Vinci depicted Jesus Christ as a vegetarian

Bread and wine during the Last Supper have special meaning for Christians. However, in the fresco, da Vinci added several details that today may seem strange - pieces of grilled eel. The artist himself was a vegetarian, so he added this to his painting.

“The Last Supper” is the apogee of the work of one of the most outstanding artists in the world