Isabella Flores
Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper is one of the most famous paintings in the world, but did he finish it? The masterpiece, painted between 1494 and 1498, is housed in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy, and depicts Jesus sharing his final meal with the Twelve Apostles, as told in the Gospel of John. The painting is renowned for its mastery of perspective and complex human emotion, but its creation was not without challenges. Leonardo's unconventional technique of painting on a dry wall contributed to its deterioration over time, and it has undergone multiple restorations, with critics questioning how much of the original work remains. Despite the controversy, The Last Supper stands as a pivotal work in art history and a testament to Leonardo's genius.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Leonardo da Vinci |
| Year | c.1495–1498 |
| Location | Milan, Italy |
| Medium | Tempera, oil, and fresco |
| Subject | The Last Supper of Jesus and the Twelve Apostles |
| Style | Italian High Renaissance |
| Size | 4.60 meters high and 8.80 meters wide |
| Technique | Painted on dry plaster instead of wet |
| Condition | Poor, due to environmental factors and restoration attempts |
| Restoration | Extensive 20-year restoration completed in 1999 |
| Copies | Two early copies exist, presumed to be by Leonardo's assistants |
| Influence | Inspired numerous works of art and literature |
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What You'll Learn
The painting's deterioration
The Last Supper, a masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci, began to deteriorate almost immediately after its completion due to a combination of factors, including the materials and techniques used by da Vinci, as well as environmental factors.
One of the main reasons for the painting's deterioration was da Vinci's experimental technique. Instead of the traditional method of fresco painting, where pigment is mixed with water and applied to wet plaster, da Vinci chose to use tempera, a mixture of pigment and egg, applied to a dry plaster wall. This technique, known as "a secco," was more flexible and allowed him to work on the painting over a longer period, making changes and additions as he saw fit. However, it also left the painting more vulnerable to damage. The wall on which da Vinci painted was not properly prepared, and the plaster began to flake soon after the painting was completed.
Additionally, the refectory of the Santa Maria delle Grazie monastery, where the painting is located, underwent several structural changes over the years, exposing the painting to varying levels of temperature and humidity. Moisture seeped through the walls, causing mould and mildew to form, which damaged the painting's surface. During the Napoleonic occupation of Milan in the late 18th century, the refectory was used as a military stable and storehouse, subjecting the painting to further damage and neglect.
Poor restoration attempts also contributed to the deterioration. In the early 19th century, an attempt was made to restore the painting, but the restorers ended up doing more harm than good. They scrubbed the surface aggressively, causing further loss of pigment, and one of the restorers even cut a door into the lower part of the mural, damaging the depiction of Christ's feet.
Over the years, there have been numerous attempts to restore and conserve the painting. In the 1920s, a major restoration project was undertaken to remove earlier attempts at restoration and to consolidate the flaking plaster. However, by this time, large sections of the painting had already been lost, and the original pigments had faded significantly. Despite these challenges, The Last Supper remains one of the most iconic and influential paintings in the history of art, a testament to da Vinci's genius and a reminder of the fragility of artistic masterpieces.
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Leonardo's painting technique
Leonardo da Vinci's painting technique for "The Last Supper" was influenced by his belief that "posture, gesture, and expression should manifest the 'notions of the mind.'" As such, each of the 12 disciples reacts in a manner that Leonardo considered appropriate for that individual's personality. This resulted in a complex study of varied human emotion, rendered in a deceptively simple composition.
Leonardo's "The Last Supper" is a mural painting, and he chose to use tempera on gesso, pitch, and mastic—materials that allowed for regular alterations. This choice of materials was made to accommodate Leonardo's inconsistent painting schedule and frequent revisions. The painting is on a stone wall sealed with a double layer of gesso, pitch, and mastic, with an undercoat of white lead to enhance the brightness of the tempera applied on top. This technique, described by Cennino Cennini in the 14th century, was considered riskier than fresco painting.
Leonardo's use of linear perspective in "The Last Supper" is another notable aspect of his painting technique. He employed parallel lines that converge at a single vanishing point to create the illusion of depth on a flat surface. The vanishing point was placed at Jesus' right temple, drawing the viewer's attention to the main subject. The height of the painting, about 8 feet (2.44 meters) above the ground, was chosen to ensure that viewers could see the action taking place above the table, not just the underside.
The painting's handling of space, mastery of perspective, treatment of motion, and complex display of human emotion have contributed to its status as one of the world's most recognizable paintings and among Leonardo's most celebrated works. It is considered a pivotal work in the transition to the High Renaissance and has exerted a considerable influence on the development of art.
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The painting's restoration
The Last Supper, completed in the late 15th century, has undergone numerous restoration attempts over the centuries. The first recorded restoration attempt was in 1726, when the members of the convent hired painter Michelangelo Bellotti to work on the piece. Bellotti filled in cracked and peeling areas with new tempera paint and covered the work with a layer of oil, leading to criticism that most of the original paint was hidden under his restoration.
In 1770, Giuseppe Mazza was hired to restore the painting. He attempted to remove Bellotti's additions by scraping them off with an iron tool and then filled in areas with an oil paint mixture. Mazza also washed the wall with a sodium hydroxide solution, believing the work to be a true fresco, which led to his firing.
In 1821, Stefano Barezzi attempted to remove the work from the wall, believing it to be a conventional fresco. After realizing his mistake, he tried to glue the paint back onto the wall and added areas of coloured stucco. Barezzi was rehired to work on the painting again between 1853 and 1855.
In 1908, Luigi Cavenaghi conducted the first analysis of the painting's chemical components and concluded that it was completed in tempera paint on two layers of plaster. Oreste Silvestri led the task of cleaning the work in 1924 and applied new plaster to the edges. Mauro Pelliccioli completed three separate sessions of restoration work, including a radical cleaning in 1947, during which he attempted to rebind the paint to the wall using shellac and casein.
In 1978, Italian authorities decided to embark upon a major restoration project to protect the painting and restore da Vinci's original work. Art restorer Pinin Brambilla Barcilon led this twenty-year project, which involved a deep clean of the painting's surface using specialised strips dipped in solvents to remove layers of grime. Brambilla Barcilon also filled in parts of the painting that had been lost and created a climate-controlled environment for the artwork.
The restoration was completed in 1999, and the brighter and more vibrant version of The Last Supper was unveiled to the public. The restoration sparked debates among critics, with some praising the recovery of details such as the Apostles' expressions and the food on the table, while others argued that too much of the original work had been removed.
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The painting's location
The Last Supper, painted by Leonardo da Vinci, is located in its original place on the wall of the dining room of the former Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. Specifically, the painting is housed in the refectory of the convent. The painting covers an end wall of the dining hall at the monastery, which was not a refectory at the time that Leonardo painted it.
The Last Supper, together with the church and the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie, have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site since September 1980. It has been described as "a unique artistic achievement, of an exceptional universal value that transcends all historical contingencies".
The painting is one of the most celebrated and well-known artworks in the world. It is considered one of the most important works of art of all time, both for its innovative approach and its impact on artists of all ages. Due to its fame, tickets to see the masterpiece are limited, and advance reservation is considered mandatory.
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The painting's influence
The Last Supper is widely considered one of the most influential paintings in the history of Western art. Its innovative use of perspective, space, and human emotion has made it one of the world's most recognisable paintings and a masterpiece of Italian Renaissance art.
The Last Supper has also been the subject of much speculation and intrigue, with writers and historical revisionists focusing on purported hidden messages or hints within the painting. This has only added to its allure and intrigue, with Dan Brown's novel "The Da Vinci Code" further fuelling interest in the painting's potential secrets.
Additionally, The Last Supper has had a lasting impact on the preservation and restoration of art. Due to the methods used by Da Vinci and various environmental factors, the painting has undergone extensive restoration attempts to preserve it for future generations. This has led to the development and utilisation of new technologies and techniques in art restoration and conservation.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Leonardo da Vinci finished painting The Last Supper in 1498.
Leonardo da Vinci used tempera on gesso, pitch, and mastic to paint The Last Supper. He did not use the traditional fresco technique of painting on wet plaster, instead opting for a \"dry\" wall.
The Last Supper has deteriorated over the years due to environmental factors, intentional damage, and early restoration efforts. After centuries of maltreatment, the painting underwent a controversial 20-year restoration that was completed in 1999.
