On June 13th we travelled from Stresa to Milan to steal a glimpse of Leonardo’s Last Supper. Before departing Stresa, we were treated to a discussion of the painting by our Smithsonian lecturer, Sheri Shaneyfelt, an art historian of the Italian Renaissance at Vanderbilt University.
The painting depicts Jesus Christ’s final meal with his twelve apostles before his arrest and crucifixion. It captures the moment Jesus announces that one of them will betray him, causing shock and emotional responses from the apostles. It was painted between 1495 and 1498 and is located in the dining hall of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The convent, as the term is used in Italy, can be for men or women. In this instance it is a convent for Dominican monks.
We arrived in time for our scheduled visit. Tickets, purchased well in advance, entitle a stay of 15 minutes. Before entering the dining hall we first entered a pre-chamber which is atmospherically controlled to enable the transition into the dining hall in order to preserve the art work. A bell rings, the doors open and you have your own 15 minutes with Leonardo. About 25 to 30 people are allowed at any one time.
As you can see, everyone is mesmerized by the 29 foot wide by 15 foot tall painting. Photos are the order of the moment.
The painting is structured around a three-point perspective, with Jesus at the center. The apostles, grouped in threes, react to Jesus’ statement with Judas, second to left of Jesus, clutching a bag (most likely containing 30 silver coins) and recoiling. And, no, to the left of Jesus is John the Apostle not Mary Magdalen.
What I intend to do with my photos is first a study of the painting in its entirety (see above). Below, I have divided the painting into five parts to provide you with a closer look at the reactions of the apostles. The photo below, on the right, is the far right side of the painting. Then, the photos proceed from right to left as you view the Last Supper, with the portion containing Jesus in the middle below. Hopefully, you can appreciate Leonardo’s work. My photos, while true to what I saw, nevertheless, sufferer from a loss of definition due to cropping. I hope, in any event, you appreciate what was created for us over 5 centuries ago.
Notice Judas in the right side photo above. He is the figure closest to the table clutching a bag, presumably with 30 silver coins. I also find it interesting to note that Judas is the only apostle painted with darker skin tones.
One last comment, Leonardo experimented with a new technique to allow more time to paint details, using tempera and oil on a dry wall rather than traditional fresco on wet plaster. Unfortunately, this resulted in rapid deterioration and within 20 years the painting began to flake and mold. By the 18th century large parts of the work had been lost. Today, only about 15 to 20% of the original survives, mainly in the heads and hands of some apostles and in Jesus’ face.
Now, turning around, at the opposite end of the dining hall is a fresco by Giovanni Donato da Montorfano titled “The Crucifixion.” It was created using traditional fresco methods and has withstood the passage and ravages of time better than Leonardo’s work.
