Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’ painting is one of the most well-known and recognisable paintings of the Renaissance period. Leonardo da Vinci was best known for his spectacular artwork as he created some of the most famous paintings in the world. I have chosen to study Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the Last Supper as it is a symbolic piece of artwork that mirrors an important event in religion, and it provides us with a meaningful interpretation of the final meal Christ shared with his Twelve Apostles. My current study of religious studies in St Mary’s college has also influenced my decision to study the painting of the Last Supper.
Firstly, to fully understand the motive of Leonardo da Vinci’s artwork, it is essential to view his background information in order to get a sense of his passion for art. Leonardo da Vinci was a famous Italian artist during the Renaissance period, and he was best known for his paintings of the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, as well as others. He was not only an artist, but he was also an architect, engineer, inventor and scientist. Alongside this, da Vinci was perceived to be a genius. He was born on 15 April 1452 and he grew up in the town of Vinci which is situated in Italy. It is evident that da Vinci had a strong passion for art up until his death on 2 May 1519. Furthermore, Leonardo da Vinci believed that art was closely linked with science and to support his love of art, he began an apprenticeship when he was fifteen years old under an artist named Andrea del Verrocchio of Florence. Da Vinci remained with Andrea del Verrocchio until he became an independent artist in 1478 and after this, he travelled to the city of Milan. It is believed that he perhaps travelled to Milan in 1481, and it was during his time here that he painted the mural of the Last Supper.
The Last Supper is a famous mural created by Leonardo da Vinci and it is believed to have been created around 1495 and was completed several years later, in 1498. Therefore, the painting was created during the High Renaissance period which represented a new period in art as well as a new social history era. The High Renaissance period is said to have lasted from the early 1490s until 1527, dominating the region of Italy. Leonardo da Vinci was an extremely influential and prevailing artist during this time as it was during this period that he created two of his most famous paintings which are known worldwide as the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper. It is believed that artists during the High Renaissance period were influenced by classical art, and their works were seen to be harmonious. The main aim of artists at this time was to create paintings that were seen to be perfection whilst expressing humanist values. Alongside this, new styles of art were also created during the High Renaissance period. This idea is supported by da Vinci’s creation of sfumato which is directly translated as ‘smoke.’ This style meant that the background of his paintings was blurred, and it was often associated with more experienced and talented painters. In addition to this, sfumato is the style that da Vinci used for the painting of the Last Supper.
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According to (re)interpellations, the famous Last Supper mural was painted under the request of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. As the painting of the Last Supper is a mural, it has been painted directly on a wall. The painting is exhibited at the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, and it is believed to be a huge piece of artwork as its dimensions are 181 inches by 346 inches. Therefore, I believe that da Vinci provides us with a visual and realistic interpretation of the scene of the Last Supper. Leonardo da Vinci also developed a new method to create the Last Supper as he did not use the true fresco method. Instead, he painted the Last Supper by using the tempera method. This means that the painting was painted on a dry wall using oils. Perhaps da Vinci used the tempera method to enable him to work on the painting slowly so that he could ensure that it was perfect – perfection was the main aim of many artists during the High Renaissance. Unfortunately, however, due to the medium used the painting began to fade after a short time and restorations had to be put in place to protect it.
The Last Supper mural captures the moment that Jesus and his Twelve Apostles shared their last meal together before his crucifixion. It is clear to see that da Vinci took his time whilst painting the Last Supper as it contains a lot of detail. In the painting, we can very clearly see thirteen figures, with Christ centred in the middle and his six Apostles placed on either side of him. When looking at this painting, it is clear to see that da Vinci has made use of the sfumato style as the background of the artwork is quite blurred. Furthermore, he also makes use of shapes in the painting. For example, the rectangle shaped window behind Christ places more emphasis on him as it allows the light to enter through and shine upon Him whereas the Twelve Apostles are situated in front of dark coloured rectangles. Christ is the main figure in this painting as He is placed directly in the middle, and the use of light in the window behind Him highlights the fact that He is a divine and holy figure. Leonardo da Vinci makes use of many colours in this painting. For example, most of the disciples are wearing the colour blue, red or green and the colour of the tablecloth and walls are white. Perhaps da Vinci has included the colour white in the painting to symbolise a sense of purity in terms of Christ. Da Vinci also makes use of the colour brown which makes the painting seem quite dull. The table which Jesus and his disciples are seated takes up a lot of space in the painting. In this painting, da Vinci has included the most important elements of the Last Supper which are the bread and wine which were offered by Christ. These elements are important in the Christian religion as they are seen to represent the body and blood of Christ.
Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of The Last Supper shows the moment that Christ tells his disciples that one of them would betray him. In the painting, the Twelve Apostles are divided into four groups of three and it is clear to see the shock and dismay on their face as Jesus presents the announcement of the betrayal. Leonardo da Vinci painted the Twelve Apostles in a realistic way and therefore, we can see their emotions clearly to the words, “One of you will betray me.’ Most of the Apostles seem to be showing emotions of shock, sadness and anger. However, da Vinci presents Judas, the one who was going to betray Jesus, in a way that makes him stand out from the rest of the Apostles. If we look closely at the painting of the Last Supper, Judas seems to be holding a bag of money which may be the money he was payed to betray Jesus. Unlike the other disciples, Judas does not seem to be showing any emotion or anger at the news of the betrayal. Therefore, I believe that this painting is important as it includes all the important elements of the Last Supper.
As well as the Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci is responsible for painting the famous ‘Mona Lisa.’ It is believed da Vinci created this painting around 1503. Unlike the mural of the Last Supper, the Mona Lisa is painted on wood and the medium used was oil. However, despite this, both the Last Supper and the Mona Lisa share a similarity as they represent da Vinci’s famous sfumato style of painting.
Overall, Leonardo da Vinci’s mural of the Last Supper is still very much famous today. I believe that the painting is important regarding the Christian faith as it recreates an important event in the history of Christ’s life when He reveals to his Apostles that one of them will betray him. In addition to this, I believe the painting is also significant as it includes the sacraments of bread and wine which are both symbolic of the Christian faith today. In my opinion, I would argue that the painting of the Last Supper provides us with a realistic interpretation of the event of the Passover meal. Furthermore, I believe that Leonardo da Vinci creates a shocked mood in the painting of the Last Supper along with a mood of sadness due to the facial expressions of the Twelve Apostles.
