Leo Martínez
The Last Supper, painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1494 and 1498, is considered one of the most important mural paintings in the world. It is housed in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. Leonardo chose to paint on a dry wall, using tempera on gesso, pitch, and mastic. This technique allowed him to work slowly and make changes, but it has not stood the test of time, and little of the original painting remains today.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Leonardo da Vinci |
| Year | c. 1495–1498 |
| Medium | Tempera, oil, and gesso on plaster |
| Location | Refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy |
| Dimensions | 460 cm × 880 cm (15 ft 1 in × 28 ft 10 in) |
| Subject | The Last Supper of Jesus with the Twelve Apostles |
| Style | High Renaissance |
| Technique | Linear perspective |
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What You'll Learn
Leonardo da Vinci's medium of choice
Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper is a mural painting, considered by some to be the most important in the world. It is housed in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy.
Da Vinci chose to paint on a dry wall, rather than on wet plaster, so it is not a true fresco. He sealed the stone wall with a layer of pitch, gesso, and mastic, then painted onto the sealing layer with tempera. Tempera was the medium generally used for panel painting, and da Vinci applied it to a wall, which was unusual. He also added an undercoat of white lead to enhance the brightness of the tempera.
Da Vinci favoured oil painting, which allows the artist to work slowly and make changes with ease. Fresco painting does not facilitate either of these objectives. Da Vinci also sought a greater luminosity and intensity of light and shade (chiaroscuro) than could be achieved with fresco, in which the water-soluble colours are painted onto wet plaster, laid freshly each day in sections.
The painting is one of many visual paradoxes scholars have observed about the painting. They have also noted that the table is far too large to fit in the depicted room, yet it is not large enough to seat the 13 men.
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Why he didn't use fresco
Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" is one of the most famous paintings in the world. It is a huge painting—4.6 metres high and 8.8 metres wide—and was made with tempera and oil on a gypsum preparation instead of the technique commonly used during the fresco period.
Leonardo, as a painter, favoured oil painting, a medium that allows the artist to work slowly and make changes with ease. Fresco painting does not facilitate either of these objectives. Leonardo also sought a greater luminosity and intensity of light and shade (chiaroscuro) than could be achieved with fresco, in which water-soluble colours are painted onto wet plaster, laid freshly each day in sections.
In order to permit his inconsistent painting schedule and frequent revisions, it is painted with materials that allowed for regular alterations: tempera on gesso, pitch, and mastic. Leonardo painted "The Last Supper" in tempera, the medium generally used for panel painting. The painting is on a stone wall sealed with a double layer of gesso, pitch, and mastic. Then he added an undercoat of white lead to enhance the brightness of the tempera that was applied on top.
Leonardo hadn't worked on such a large painting before and had no experience in the standard mural medium of fresco. The painting was made using experimental pigments directly on the dry plaster wall, and unlike frescos, where the pigments are mixed with wet plaster, it has not stood the test of time well. Even before it was finished, there were problems with the paint flaking from the wall, and Leonardo had to repair it. Over the years, it has crumbled, been vandalised, bombed, and restored.
In a fresco, tempera has to be added quickly before the plaster dries, forcing an artist to work quickly and making it very difficult to make changes. Instead, Leonardo added tempera to already dry plaster, allowing him to work slowly, develop the shading that comes with the chiaroscuro of the mural, and make any changes necessary over time.
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Tempera, gesso, pitch, and mastic
Tempera is a permanent, fast-drying painting medium consisting of pigments mixed with a water-soluble binder, usually a glutinous material such as egg yolk. Tempera was the primary method of painting until after 1500 when it was superseded by oil painting. Tempera was the main medium used for panel painting and illuminated manuscripts in Medieval and Early Renaissance Europe.
Gesso is used to prime a canvas for painting. It is very similar to white acrylic paint but thinner, and dries hard to make the surface stiffer. Gesso is usually applied in one or two layers and can be bought readymade from art supply shops.
Mastic is a plant resin, specifically from the mastic tree on the Greek island of Chios. The resin is known as the "tears of Chios" because the clear drops that hang from the tree sparkle in the sunlight and resemble crystalline teardrops. The production of mastic is a year-long process, and the cleaning process is performed by hand.
Pitch is a substance derived from petroleum, coal tar, or plants. It is typically used as a waterproof sealant or adhesive.
Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper is a mural painting dated to c. 1495–1498. It is painted in tempera on a stone wall sealed with a double layer of gesso, pitch, and mastic. Tempera was used because it allowed Leonardo to work slowly and make frequent changes, which was not possible with fresco painting.
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Painting on a dry wall
Leonardo da Vinci, a master of the Italian High Renaissance, chose to paint "The Last Supper" on a dry wall, specifically on a sealed plaster wall using tempera paint. This approach allowed him to work slowly and make changes, as the traditional fresco technique does not easily facilitate alterations. By sealing the stone wall with a layer of pitch, gesso, and mastic, Leonardo created a suitable surface for his chosen medium.
However, there are also challenges associated with painting on a dry wall. One of the main disadvantages is the potential for paint to flake and crumble over time. "The Last Supper" experienced these issues even before it was completed and it has required numerous restorations throughout its existence. The durability of a painting on a dry wall can be impacted by various factors, including the environment and intentional damage.
Despite the challenges, the dry wall technique has been pivotal in the history of art. Leonardo da Vinci's experimental approach with "The Last Supper" opened up new possibilities for artists, influencing the development of new techniques and themes. The use of a sealed plaster wall and tempera paint, though risky, allowed Leonardo to achieve a level of detail and complexity in his work that has made it one of the most recognizable and celebrated paintings in the world.
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The painting's deterioration
The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci has undergone centuries of deterioration and restoration. The painting was completed in the late 15th century and is located in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. The Last Supper is Leonardo's largest work, measuring 460 cm × 880 cm (15 ft 1 in × 28 ft 10 in) and covers an end wall of the dining hall at the monastery.
The painting was made using experimental pigments directly on a dry plaster wall. Unlike frescoes, where the pigments are mixed with wet plaster, this technique has not stood the test of time. Even before it was finished, there were problems with the paint flaking from the wall, and Leonardo had to repair it. The painting has also been subjected to vandalism, bombing, and restoration attempts over the years.
The location of the painting has also contributed to its deterioration. The refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie is in a low-lying part of the city, prone to flooding and damp. The surface on which the painting is done is an exterior wall that would have absorbed moisture. The painting was also exposed to steam and smoke from the convent's kitchen and from candles used in the refectory.
By 1582, it was recorded that The Last Supper was "in a state of total ruin." In 1652, a door was cut into the refectory wall, destroying the area depicting Jesus's feet. In 1796, French forces under Napoleon took control of Milan and used the refectory as stables, further damaging the wall with projectiles. In 1800, a flood filled the refectory with two feet of water for 15 days, causing the walls to absorb moisture and leading to a thick green mold covering the entire painting.
There have been multiple restoration attempts over the centuries, some more successful than others. The first recorded restoration attempt began in 1726 when the members of the convent hired painter Michelangelo Bellotti to work on the piece. Bellotti filled in the cracked and peeling areas with new tempera paint and covered the work with a layer of oil. However, his work was criticized for hiding most of the original paint. Subsequent restoration attempts have included removing past restorations, filling in damaged areas with light watercolor paints, and converting the refectory into a climate-controlled, sealed room to counteract environmental hazards. Despite these efforts, it is estimated that only about 20% of the original painting remains today.
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Frequently asked questions
The Last Supper was painted using tempera on a sealed plaster wall. Leonardo da Vinci chose to paint on a dry wall, rather than the traditional fresco method of painting on wet plaster.
Leonardo favoured tempera as it allowed him to work slowly and make changes, which was in line with his inconsistent painting schedule.
The wall is a stone wall, sealed with a double layer of gesso, pitch, and mastic.
The Last Supper measures 460 cm × 880 cm (15 ft 1 in × 28 ft 10 in) and covers an end wall of the dining hall at the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy.
The original painting is in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy.
