“The Last Supper” (Italian: Il Cenacolo or L’Ultima Cena) is a fresco by Leonardo da Vinci depicting the scene of Christ’s last supper with his disciples. Created in 1495-1498 in the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.
General information
The dimensions of the image are approximately 450x870 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.
Leonardo da Vinci. Last Supper, 1495-1498. Ultima price. 460×880 cm. Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan
Photo clickable
The painting was commissioned by Leonardo from his patron, Duke Ludovico Sforza and his wife Beatrice d'Este. The lunettes above the fresco, 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 fresco are known to exist, presumably by an assistant of Leonardo.
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 cannot be altered during the work, and Leonardo decided to cover the stone wall with a layer of resin, plaster and mastic, and then paint over this layer with tempera. Due to the chosen method, the painting began to deteriorate just a few years after the completion of the work.
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 (in green and blue clothes), Peter and John;
Thomas, James Zebedee and Philip;
Matthew, Judas Thaddeus and Simon.
In the 19th century, notebooks by Leonardo da Vinci with the names of the apostles were found; previously only Judas, Peter, John and Christ had been identified with certainty.
Analysis of the picture
The fresco 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.
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 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 painting there is a golden ratio, for example where Jesus and John, who is to 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 World War II, 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.
Main restoration
In the 1970s, the fresco looked badly damaged. From 1978 to 1999, under the leadership of Pinin Brambilla Barcilon, 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 dirt, 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, 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 examination of core samples, as well as original cartons from the Royal Library of Windsor Castle. Some areas were considered beyond repair. They were re-painted in muted watercolors 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 book tickets in advance and can only spend 15 minutes there. 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.
Santa Maria delle Grazie
From October 15 to Sunday December 3, 2017 over 8 Sundays you can see Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece “The Last Supper” until 22.00.
The extended opening hours of the museum will increase the number of visitors by 3,000 people. The museum will be open until 22.00 (last opening at 21.45):
October 15
22 of October
29th of October
November 5 (free admission in honor of the Una Domenica al Museo initiative)
November 12
November 19
November 26
December 3 (free admission in honor of the Una Domenica al Museo initiative)
Only a certain part of the tickets can be pre-booked by phone 02 92800360, the rest of the tickets will be sold at the museum box office from 14.00 on the day of visiting the museum.
“The Last Supper” (“Cenacolo Vinciano”)
In the heart of Milan in the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie houses the greatest work of world art by Leonardo da Vinci “The Last Supper” (“Cenacolo Vinciano” in Italian ) . I would like to note that this work is not a painting, but fresco, which a talented artist painted on the wall of the monastery refectory.
The fresco depicting the scene of Christ's last meal with his disciples was commissioned by the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Maria Sforzo. The painting was started by Leonardo in 1495 and completed in 1498; work proceeded intermittently.
The approximate dimensions of the fresco are 880 by 460 cm. It is noteworthy that the artist executed the work not on wet plaster, but on dry plaster, in order to be able to edit it several times. The artist applied a thick layer of egg tempra to the wall, which caused the destruction of the fresco 20 years after it was painted.
Fresco “The Last Supper”:
This fresco depicts the most terrible story of betrayal and the manifestation of the most selfless love. The main characters are the teacher and the student who betrayed him. Both know what will happen and both will not make an attempt to change anything.
The picture of the last meal of Jesus with the apostles was recreated by many painters, but no one, neither before nor after Leonardo da Vinci, was able to convey the drama of the New Testament narrative with such expressiveness. Unlike other artists, Leonardo did not paint an icon; he was interested in non-church dogmas, but human feelings of the Savior and his disciples. Thanks to the techniques used by the master, observers seem to find themselves inside the fresco. No other painting on the theme of the Last Supper can compare with uniqueness of the composition and drawing of details Leonardo's masterpiece.
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 that 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. Knife in hand Petra, pointing away from Christ, perhaps refers the viewer to the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane during the arrest of Christ.
Gesture of Jesus 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 extending 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.
How to visit the Last Supper fresco by Leonardo da Vinci in Milan:
Viewing of the fresco is carried out groups of up to 30 people. Be sure to book your ticket in advance, and the reservation must be paid immediately. There are many websites that sell tickets at exorbitant prices, but it is more profitable and reliable to buy on the official website of the Italian Ministry of Culture www.vivaticket.it.
Tickets can be purchased online, but this is very difficult and almost impossible during the peak tourist season, so it is advisable to take care of purchasing tickets well in advance of your trip.
20 minutes before the show, in the building to the left of the church, you need to exchange your reservation slips for the tickets themselves. The entrance to the “Last Supper” is also located there.
Ticket prices:
An adult ticket costs 10 euros + 2 euros booking fee.
Book by phone: +39 02 92800360
Ticket sales:
FROM DECEMBER 13 ticket sales for the month of March
FROM JANUARY 12 ticket sales for the month of April
FROM FEBRUARY 8 ticket sales for the month of May
FROM MARCH 8 ticket sales for the month of June
Opening hours of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie:
8.15 -19.00, break from 12.00 to 15.00.
On pre-holiday and holiday days the church is open from 11.30 to 18.30. Closed: January 1, May 1, December 25.
How to get to Santa Maria delle Grazie:
by tram 18 towards Magenta, stop Santa Maria delle Grazie
Metro line M2, stop Conciliazione or Cadorna
Plot
The Last Supper is the last meal of Jesus Christ with his 12 disciples. That evening, Jesus established the sacrament of the Eucharist, which consisted of the consecration of bread and wine, and preached about humility and love. The key event of the evening is the prediction of the betrayal of one of the students.
"The Last Supper". (wikimedia.org)
The closest companions of Jesus - those same apostles - are depicted in groups around Christ, sitting in the center. Bartholomew, Jacob Alfeev and Andrey; then Judas Iscariot, Peter and John; then Thomas, James Zebedee and Philip; and the last three are Matthew, Judas Thaddeus and Simon.
According to one version, the closest person to the right hand of Christ is not John, but Mary Magdalene. If we follow this hypothesis, then her position points to marriage with Christ. This is supported by the fact that Mary Magdalene washed Christ’s feet and dried them with her hair. Only a legal wife could do this.
Nikolai Ge “The Last Supper”, 1863. (wikimedia.org)
It is not known exactly what moment of the evening Da Vinci wanted to depict. Probably the reaction of the apostles to the words of Jesus about the impending betrayal of one of the disciples. The argument is the gesture of Christ: according to the prediction, the traitor will stretch out his hand to the food at the same time as the son of God, and the only “candidate” is Judas.
The images of Jesus and Judas were more difficult for Leonardo than others. The artist could not find suitable models. As a result, he based Christ on a singer in a church choir, and Judas on a drunken tramp, who, by the way, was also a singer in the past. There is even a version that Jesus and Judas were based on the same person at different periods of his life.
Context
For the end of the 15th century, when the fresco was created, the reproduced depth of perspective was a revolution that changed the direction of the development of Western painting. To be precise, “The Last Supper” is, rather, not a fresco, but a painting. The fact is that technically it was made on a dry wall, and not on wet plaster, as is the case with frescoes. Leonardo did this so that the images could be corrected. The fresco technique does not give the author the right to make mistakes.
Da Vinci received an order from his regular client, Duke Lodovico Sforza. The latter’s wife, Beatrice d’Este, who patiently endured her husband’s unbridled love for libertines, eventually died suddenly. The Last Supper was a kind of last will of the deceased.
Lodovico Sforza. (wikimedia.org)
Less than 20 years after the creation of the fresco, Da Vinci's work began to crumble due to humidity. After another 40 years it was almost impossible to recognize the figures. Apparently, contemporaries were not particularly worried about the fate of the work. On the contrary, they in every possible way, wittingly or unwittingly, only worsened his condition. So, in the middle of the 17th century, when the churchmen needed a passage in the wall, they made it in such a way that Jesus lost his legs. Later, the opening was blocked with bricks, but the legs could not be restored.
The French king Francis I was so impressed by the work that he seriously thought about transporting it to his home. And during World War II, the fresco miraculously survived - a shell that hit the church building destroyed everything except the wall with Da Vinci’s work.
Santa Maria delle Grazie. (wikimedia.org)
“The Last Supper” was repeatedly tried to be restored, although not particularly successfully. As a result, by the 1970s it became obvious that it was time to act decisively, otherwise the masterpiece would be lost. Colossal work has been carried out over 21 years. Today, visitors to the refectory have only 15 minutes to contemplate the masterpiece, and tickets, of course, must be purchased in advance.
One of the geniuses of the Renaissance, a universal man, was born near Florence - a place where, at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, cultural, political and economic life was extremely rich. Thanks to the families of patrons (such as the Sforza and the Medici), who generously paid for art, Leonardo was able to create freely.
Da Vinci statue in Florence. (wikimedia.org)
Da Vinci was not a highly educated man. But his notebooks allow us to speak of him as a genius, whose range of interests extended extremely widely. Painting, sculpture, architecture, engineering, anatomy, philosophy. And so on and so forth. And the most important thing here is not the number of hobbies, but the degree of involvement in them. Da Vinci was an innovator. His progressive thought overturned the ideas of his contemporaries and set a new vector for the development of culture.
last supper Leonardo da Vinci’s painting is so large-scale and mysterious that for centuries advice and tips have been passed on about what angle to look at it from so as not to miss a single detail. It is believed that you need to move nine meters away from the canvas and rise 3.5 meters up. Such distances seem too large until you remember the enormous dimensions of the painting - 460 by 880 cm.
The name Leonardo is shrouded in many secrets. For centuries, the best minds of mankind have been trying to unravel the hidden intentions of his creations, but it is unlikely that it will ever be possible to fully comprehend the full depth of his genius. However, there are facts that art critics have no doubt about. So, they are sure that the painting was created in 1495-1498 by order of Leonardo’s patron, Duke Ludovico Sforza, who was advised to do this by his meek wife Beatrice d’Este. The fresco is in the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. This is where the unconditional truths end, and space for debate, opinions and reflection begins.
There is ambiguity even in the definition of the painting technique that da Vinci used when creating The Last Supper. Out of habit, I would like to call it a fresco, but this is not so. Fresco is painting on wet plaster, and the artist painted the picture on a dry wall in order to be able to make changes and additions to it in the future.
The work is located on the back wall of the monastery refectory. This arrangement is not strange or accidental: the theme of the picture is the last Easter dinner of Jesus Christ with his disciples and apostles. All depicted figures are located on one side of the table so that the viewer can see the face of each of them. The apostles are grouped in groups of three, and this symbol of three is found in other elements of the picture: in the triangles that themselves form from lines, in the number of windows behind Jesus. The work of Leonardo da Vinci differs from a number of paintings on this topic in that there is no halo over any of the characters he depicts; the viewer is invited to look at events from an exclusively human point vision.
The emotions of each of the apostles are unique and are not repeated by other participants in the action. The viewer has the opportunity to see that they all react in their own way to the words of Jesus Christ, who said:
“...Truly I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”
Leonardo da Vinci worked most carefully on the images of Christ and Judas. There is an interesting legend that they were written by the same person. They say that Leonardo saw the prototype of Jesus in a young singer from a church choir. Three years passed, and the artist met a completely degraded man, from whom he painted Judas. The model’s confession turned out to be shocking: he was the same young singer, but in a few years he managed to move away from goodness and purity to debauchery and darkness.
The idea that good and evil coexist in our world can also be seen in the color scheme of the painting: the artist used techniques that are based on contrasts.
Many questions regarding The Last Supper remain unanswered, but one thing is certain - this creation is an important milestone in the development of painting of the 15th-16th centuries. Thus, it was possible to bring the depth of perspective to a new level and create a sense of volume, which even stereo cinema of our day can envy.
If we talk about monuments of art and culture of world significance, we cannot fail to mention the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci. And, undoubtedly, one of the most famous is his work “The Last Supper”. Some claim that the master was inspired to write it by a spark from God, while others insist that for the sake of such mastery he sold his soul to the devil. But one thing is undeniable - the skill and care with which the artist recreated all the nuances of the scene from the Gospel still remains an unattainable dream for most painters.
So, what secrets does this image hide? Read and find out!
Scene of Christ's last supper with his disciples
The history of the painting
Leonardo da Vinci received an order to write “The Last Supper” from his patron, the Duke of Milan Ludovico Sforza. This happened in 1495, and the reason was the death of the ruler’s wife, the modest and pious Beatrice d’Este. During her lifetime, the famous womanizer Sforza neglected communication with his wife for the sake of entertainment with friends, but still loved her in his own way. The chronicles note that after the death of his lady, he declared fifteen days of mourning, praying in his chambers and not leaving them for a minute. And after this period expired, he ordered a painting from the court artist (who was Leonardo at that time) in memory of the deceased.
The fresco is located in the Dominican Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Its painting lasted three whole years (whereas it usually took about three months to complete such a painting) and was completed only in 1498. The reason for this was the unusually large size of the work (460x880 cm) and the innovative technique used by the master.
Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Milan
Leonardo da Vinci did not paint on wet plaster, but on dry plaster, so that he could see the colors and details. In addition, he used not only oil paints, but also tempera - a mixture of pigment and egg white - which also caused the rapid deterioration of the work. The painting began to collapse twenty years after the artist made the last stroke. Now, in order to preserve it for posterity, a whole range of special events are being carried out. If this is not done, the fresco will completely disappear within 60 years.
Master's plan
Leonardo da Vinci's painting The Last Supper depicts one of the most famous and moving episodes in the Gospel. According to theological calculations, it was she who opened the Lord’s path to the cross, as the final battle with evil and death. At this moment, Christ's love for humanity was manifested clearly and visibly - He sacrificed divine light to go into death and darkness. By sharing bread with the disciples, the Lord thereby joined each of us and left His testament. But at the same time, someone may reject this possibility - after all, God is not only love, but also freedom, and this is demonstrated to us by the act of Judas.
In order to adequately convey this deep and meaningful scene in paint, Leonardo did significant preparatory work. As indicated in the notes of his contemporaries, he walked the streets of Milan in search of models. The master made them laugh, upset them and surprised them, watched how people quarreled and made peace, confessed their love and parted - so that he could later reflect this in his work. That is why All participants in the Last Supper in the fresco are endowed with individuality, their own expression, pose and mood.
First sketches of the Last Supper. Located in the Venetian Academy
In addition, the painter abandoned traditional icon painting canons in favor of a realistic and natural image. At that time, painting Jesus and the apostles without the usual crowns, halos and mandorlas (golden radiance around the entire figure) was a rather bold idea, which was even criticized by some priests. But after the completion of the work, everyone unanimously admitted that no one had ever been able to convey the divine meal better.
Secrets of the painting The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci
It is known that da Vinci was not only a famous artist, but also an inventor, engineer, anatomist, scientist, and some even attribute to him a connection with various mystical societies, of which there were quite a lot in Europe in the 15th century. Therefore, thanks to the skill of their creator, the works of Leonardo da Vinci also carry a certain touch of mystery and enigma. And it is precisely around the “Last Supper” that there are extremely many such prejudices and hoaxes. So, what secrets did the creator encrypt?
According to historians who study the creative heritage of the Renaissance, the most difficult thing for the master was to write Jesus and Judas Iscariot. The Lord was supposed to appear before the audience as the embodiment of kindness, love and piety, while Judas was to become his opposite, a dark antagonist. It is not surprising that da Vinci could not find suitable sitters. But one day during a service, he saw a young singer in the church choir - his young face was so spiritual and impeccable that the painter immediately realized that this particular person could become a prototype of Christ. But even after his figure was painted, the artist spent a long time adjusting and correcting it, trying to achieve perfection.
Leonardo drew the prototype of Judas and Jesus from one sitter, without knowing it
All that remained was to depict Iscariot - and again Leonardo could not find the right person. He went to the dirtiest and most neglected areas of Milan, wandering for hours through low-quality taverns and ports, trying to find someone whose face would serve as a suitable model. And finally, luck smiled at him - in a roadside ditch he saw a drunk man. The artist ordered him to be taken to church and, without even allowing him to wake up from his intoxication, began to capture the image. After finishing the work, the drunkard said that he had already seen it once, and even participated - only that time they painted Christ from him... According to contemporaries, this proved how thin the line is between a prosperous life and a fall - and how easy it is to cross it!
It is also interesting that the rector of the church in which the fresco was located often distracted Leonardo da Vinci, pointing out that he should work harder and not stand for hours in front of the image - and certainly not wander around the city in search of sitters! Finally, the painter got so tired of this that one day he promised the abbot that he would paint Judas with his face if he did not immediately stop commanding and pointing!
Disciple or Mary Magdalene?
There are still discussions about who Leonardo da Vinci depicted in the painting to the left hand of the Savior. According to some art critics, the gentle, graceful face of this character simply cannot belong to a man, which means that the artist introduced Mary Magdalene into the plot, one of the women who followed the Shepherd. Some go even further, suggesting that she was the legal wife of Jesus Christ. Confirmation of this is found in the arrangement of figures on the fresco - leaning towards each other, they form a stylized letter “M”, meaning “Matrimonio” - marriage. Other researchers do not agree with this, assuring that the outlines of the bodies can only be connected into the letter “V” - da Vinci’s initials.
Jesus and Mary Magdalene on the Last Supper fresco
But there is other evidence that Magdalene was the wife of Christ. Thus, in the Gospel you can see references to how she washed His feet with myrrh and dried them with her hair (John 12:3), and this could only be done by a woman legally married to a man. In addition, some apocrypha claim that at the time of the Lord’s crucifixion on Calvary, Mary was pregnant, and the daughter Sarah born to her became the ancestor of the French royal Merovingian dynasty.
Placement of figures and objects
The Last Supper of Leonardo da Vinci is distinguished not only by the realism and liveliness of the human figures - the master carefully worked out the space surrounding them, the cutlery, and even the landscape. Each feature of the work contains a coded message.
For example, scientists have found that the order in which the figures of the apostles are located on the fresco is not at all random - it corresponds to the sequence of the zodiac circle. So, if you adhere to this pattern, you can see that Jesus Christ was a Capricorn - a symbol of movement forward, to new heights and achievements, and spiritual development. This sign is identified with Saturn - the deity of time, fate and harmony.
But the mysterious figure next to the Savior, which was already mentioned above, is located under the sign of Virgo. This is another proof in favor of the fact that the master showed Mary Magdalene in the picture.
Amber icon “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci
It is also interesting to study the arrangement of objects on the table. In particular, near Judas’s hand you can see an upside-down salt shaker (which was already considered a sign of trouble in those days), and in addition, his plate is empty. This is a sign that he was unable to accept the grace given by the coming of the Lord and rejected His gift.
Even the fish served to the diners is a reason for disputes. Art critics have long debated what exactly Leonardo depicted. Some say that this is a herring - its Italian name, “aringa”, is consonant with “arringare” - teaching, preaching, instruction. But according to others, this is an eel - in the dialect of Eastern Italy it is called “anguilla”, which for Italians sounds similar to “one who rejects religion”.
During its existence, the fresco was repeatedly in danger of destruction. So, during World War II, an artillery shell that flew into the window of the church disfigured and partially destroyed all the walls - except for the one where the work was written!
The famous painting still exists - and reveals more and more secrets to us, the solution of which is yet to be solved. In the meantime, you can admire numerous copies and reproductions made from a variety of materials. For example, the Last Supper made of amber, poured from semi-precious crumbs and inlaid with large stones, is simply amazing - it combines masterful execution and the mystery of the original!