The Last Supper

Ludovico Sforza's commission of 'The Last Supper' was part of a larger plan to reconstruct the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, a church and UNESCO World Heritage Site where the piece still stands today. This was not just a simple renovation project or decorative piece, but part of a grand vision to transform the convent into a symbol of his prestigious family's power and influence.

The mural was intended to represent the Sforza family's generous patronage of the arts, as well as their devotion to the Christian faith.

In fact, Sforza wanted to establish a family mausoleum in the convent, and the mural was to be the centerpiece of this project.

The scene depicted in 'The Last Supper' is an important event in the Christian Bible, as told in the Gospel of John, recounting the final meal that Jesus Christ had with his disciples.

This was not just any meal, but a momentous occasion where Jesus shared numerous teachings with his disciples. The event is marked by a sense of solemnity and anticipation, as it precedes the crucifixion on Good Friday, a pivotal event in Christian belief.

During this meal, Jesus made the shocking announcement that one of his disciples would betray him. This revelation led to a wave of shock and confusion among the disciples. The disciple Judas’s betrayal would lead to Christ's imminent death by crucifixion.

Leonardo's depiction of this moment of tension and uncertainty in his mural captured the emotional turmoil of the disciples and the gravity of Jesus' announcement. The choice to paint 'The Last Supper' directly onto a convent wall, rather than on a canvas or wood panel, may seem unusual. However, this was a deliberate decision by Leonardo, influenced by both practical and artistic considerations.

One of the reasons for painting the mural directly on the convent's dining hall wall was to create an immersive sense of continuity between the depicted scene and the room’s function, making the viewers feel as if they were part of the biblical event.

The large scale allowed Leonardo to portray the scene in life-size, enhancing its impact and realism.

The mural measures approximately 15 feet in height and 29 feet in width (460 cm x 880 cm).

The same sense of awe would not have been possible to produce on a smaller canvas or wood panel.

The techniques Leonardo employed for “The Last Supper” were not only novel and innovative for their time, but also had a significant impact on the final outcome of the mural.

The primary wall painting technique used was 'fresco-secco', which involved applying paint to dry (“secco”) plaster instead of wet. This was a departure from the traditional fresco, which required the artist to work quickly before the plaster dried.

The use of fresco-secco gave Leonardo much more time to perfect the details of the mural and make changes as he saw fit.

The impact of this technique lies in the astonishing level of detail and realism it allowed Leonardo to achieve.

With more time to work on the mural, Leonardo was able to capture the nuances of the disciples' reactions and other subtleties of the scene, setting it apart from other depictions of the same biblical event. While Leonardo’s experimental approach to the creation of 'The Last Supper' contributed to the mural's artistic genius, it also, unfortunately, led to the work’s deterioration over time.

One of the main reasons for the mural's deterioration over the centuries was the fresco-secco technique that Leonardo used. While this technique allowed him more time to work on the mural, it also resulted in the paint not adhering well to the wall.

Over time, this has led to flaking and loss of detail, compromising the mural's original brilliance.

Another factor contributing to the mural's instability was Leonardo's use of oil paint. While oil paint was a medium he favored for its luminosity and manipulability, it was not very suitable for wall painting. Oil paint doesn't interact well with the porous surface of the plaster, leading to a breakdown in the adhesion between the paint layers and the wall over time.

The preservation of Leonardo's 'The Last Supper' has presented a great challenge for art conservators. Despite their best efforts, modern restorations have not always been successful in preserving the intricacies of the original work.

Modern restorations have attempted to stabilize the mural, repair damage, and recover the original colors and details using various techniques such as consolidation, cleaning, and inpainting.

These efforts have been driven by a desire to restore the mural to its original glory, and to ensure its survival for future generations to appreciate.

However, these restoration efforts have been met with criticism. Some argue that the restorations have altered the original work, removing layers of paint applied by Leonardo himself. This controversy highlights the delicate balance between preservation and authenticity, and the challenges of maintaining this balance in the face of time and decay.

The Last Supper is not just a static depiction of a biblical event, but a rich narrative unfolding within a single snapshot. The core element of this narrative is Jesus’ prediction of betrayal and the disciples’ reactions to this harrowing news. Leonardo masterfully used body language and facial expressions to convey the emotional turmoil of each disciple.

As Jesus announces the betrayal, the disciples around him react in shock, disbelief, and confusion.

Their expressions range from astonishment to concern, and they exhibit gestures of surprise and worry through their raised hands, pointing fingers, and subtle interactions with each other. Another intriguing detail is the fact that the betrayer Judas Iscariot’s face is obscured, adding an air of mystery and secrecy to his character that foreshadows his eventual role.

'The Last Supper' is rich in biblical symbolism, with each element carefully chosen to convey specific Christian messages and themes. The most prominent symbols in the painting are the bread and wine on the table, which represent the body and blood of Christ respectively and directly reference the Eucharist, a central sacrament in Christianity.

Leonardo also made sure Jesus was given a halo and illuminated more than the others, symbolizing his divine nature as the Son of God. His hand gesture over the bread and wine is also significant as it emphasizes the consecration of these elements and echoes the act performed during the Eucharistic liturgy.

Leonardo’s use of perspective and choice of layout in “The Last Supper” were not just aesthetic considerations, but narrative tools that he used to tell a story within a single scene. Leonardo used linear perspective in the painting to ensure that all lines converge towards Jesus, drawing the viewer's attention to his central role in the event and Christianity as a whole.

The layout of the disciples in groups of three on either side of Jesus also contributes to the narrative. This arrangement creates a sense of balance and harmony in the painting, while also facilitating the depiction of individual reactions.

Each group of three disciples can be seen as a separate narrative unit, adding layers of complexity to the overall story.