Leonardo’s “The Last Supper” is among the most famous paintings in the world. In its monumental simplicity, the composition of the scene is masterful; the power of its effect comes from the striking contrast in the attitudes of the twelve disciples as counter-posed to Christ. Leonardo did not choose the portrayal of the traitor Judas customary in the iconographic tradition; he portrayed, rather, that moment of highest tension as related in the New Testament, “One of you which eateth with me will betray me.” All of the Apostles–as human beings who do not understand what is about to occur–are agitated, whereas Christ alone, conscious of his divine mission, sits in lonely, transfigured serenity. Only one other being shares the secret knowledge: Judas, who is both part of and yet excluded from the movement of his companions; in this isolation he becomes the second lonely figure–the guilty one–of the company.
In the profound conception of his theme, in the perfect yet seemingly simple arrangement of the individuals, in the temperaments of the Apostles highlighted by gesture and mimicry, in the drama and at the same time the sublimity of the treatment, Leonardo attained a height of expression that has remained a model of its kind. Untold painters in succeeding generations, among them great masters such as Rubens and Rembrandt, marvelled at Leonardo’s composition and were influenced by it. The painting also inspired some of Goethe’s finest pages of descriptive prose. It has become widely known through countless reproductions and prints, the most important being those produced by Raffaello Morghen in 1800. Thus, the “Last Supper” has become part of humanity’s common heritage and remains today one of the world’s outstanding paintings.
The Essay on Vinci Leonardo Painting One
... line to glimpse at the mysterious lady. Only one of Leonardo's paintings is not in a museum or a collection in Europe. ... did scientific drawings showing exposed mussels and bones. Leonardo studied painting In Florence, in the studio of Andrew Del verrocchio. A ... paint. Mona Lisa by Leonardo is possibly the best known and most loved painting in the world. The painting glows with a mysterious ...
Technical deficiencies in the execution of the work have not lessened its fame. Leonardo was uncertain about the technique he should use. He bypassed fresco painting, which, because it is executed on fresh plaster, demands quick and uninterrupted painting, in favour of another technique he had developed: tempera on a base mixed by himself on the stone wall. This procedure proved unsuccessful, inasmuch as the base soon began to be loosened from the wall. Damage appeared by the beginning of the 16th century, and deterioration soon set in. By the middle of the century the work was called a ruin. Later, inadequate attempts at restoration only aggravated the situation, and not until the most modern restoration techniques were applied after World War II was the process of decay halted.
The story behind the painting of the Last Supper is extremely interesting and instructive. Two incidents connected with this painting afford a most convincing lesson on the effects of sin in our lives.
As you know, the figures representing the twelve apostles and Christ himself were painted from living persons. The live model for the painting of the figure of Jesus was chosen first. When it was decided that Da Vinci would paint this great picture, hundreds and hundreds of young men were carefully viewed in an endeavor to find a face and personality of unaffected by sin.
Finally, after weeks of laborious searching a young man, nineteen years of age, was selected as the model for the portrayal of Christ. For six months Da Vinci worked on the production of this leading character of the famous painting. During the next six years Da Vinci continued his labors on his sublime work of art. One by one, fitting persons were chosen to represent each of the eleven apostles, space being left for the painting of the figure representing Judas Iscariot as the final task of this masterpiece.
For weeks Da Vinci searched for a man with hard calloused face, with a countenance marked by scars of avarice, deceit, which would betray his best friend. After many discouraging experiences in searching for the type of person required to represent Judas, word came to Da Vinci that a man whose appearance fully met the requirements had been found. He was in a dungeon in Rome, sentenced to die for a life of crime and murder.
The Essay on Leonardo Da Vinci: Renaissance Man
During the Renaissance, the ultimate goal of a person was to excel in all aspects of life. Leonardo da Vinci is dubbed “the Renaissance Man” because he dabbled and succeeded in many different areas. Leonardo is most famous for his paintings, which captured shadow and depth unlike any other artist of his time. He also made remarkable discoveries in Science and anatomy, two subjects that ...
Da Vinci made the trip to Rome at once, and this man was brought out from his imprisonment in the dungeon and led out into the light of the sun. There Da Vinci saw before him a dark, swarthy man, his long shaggy and unkempt hair sprawled over his face, a face which portrayed a character of viciousness and complete ruin. At last the painter had found the person he wanted to represent the character of Judas in his painting.
By special permission from the king, this prisoner was carried to Milan where the fresco was being painted. For six months the prisoner sat before Da Vinci, at appointed hours each day, as the gifted artist diligently continued his task of transmitting to his painting this base character in the picture representing the betrayer of the Savior.
As he finished his last stroke, he turned to the guards and said, “I have finished, you may take the prisoner away.” The prisoner suddenly broke loose from their control and rushed up to Da Vinci, crying as he did so, “Oh, Da Vinci, look at me! Do you not know who I am?” Da Vinci, with the trained eyes of a great painter, carefully scrutinized the man upon whose face he had constantly gazed for six months and replied, “No, I have never seen you in my life until you were brought before me out of the dungeon in Rome.”
Then lifting his eyes toward heaven, the prisoner said, “O God, have I fallen so low?” Then turning his face to the painter he cried, “Leonardo Da Vinci, look at me again, for I am the same man you painted just seven years ago as the figure of Christ!
As one begins to regard the painting, it is immediately understood that there is a hierarchy of importance via hierarchical scale in that Jesus, situated both horizontally and vertically at the center of the picture plane, is undeniably the focus of the painting. Da Vinci communicates this to the viewer by literally painting lines that all point to the figure– the lines connecting the walls to the ceiling, the beams in the ceiling, the tops of the tapestries on the walls, and the arms of the apostles all point to Jesus. Further, Da Vinci develops a pattern of placement of apostles in the painting that illuminates Jesus as a central figure as well. While all twelve of the apostles are situated in groups of three, there being two sets on each side of Jesus, as he is the only lone figure, his importance is once again emphasized through his singularity and difference in within the pattern.
The Essay on Guardian Angel Painting Life Man
There is a series of interesting paintings called "The Voyage of Life" by Thomas Cole at Munson Williams Proctor Institute. These paintings contain a great deal of symbolism and, in my opinion, are a perfect example of the communication theory of semiotics. Semiotics is best described as "anything that can stand for something else" (A First Look at Communication Theory by Em Griffin, page 355). In ...
