When you hear about historical art masterpieces, the average person recognizes Leonardo da Vinci's, The Last Supper. People who don't study art often wonder what is so important about this particular work. What does it represent? What makes it a masterpiece? Why is it protected? Should I take the time to see it in person? Currently housed by the Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy, the painting is within a temperature-controlled, guarded room of the church.
What does The Last Supper represent?
So... what does the painting represent? The painting depicts the scene of the Last Supper of Jesus and his apostles. The Last Supper is the final meal Jesus shared with his apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. During this meal, Jesus predicts his betrayal by one of the apostles present. Leonardo da Vinci depicts the dishonesty within this piece of art by having Judas shadowed in the painting. Also, viewers can only see part of his face while he clutches the money bag containing silver pieces.
What makes it a masterpiece?
Other than the fact that this painting was done by Leonardo da Vinci, this painting is a masterpiece in its own right, due to the techniques applied within. Leonardo created the effect that the room within the piece is an extension of the physical space you are standing while viewing it. The room painted is also rectangular, like the tangible room, and Leonardo painted identical coffers on the ceiling within the piece. By using aerial perspective, which is to make the landscape grayer the further its in the distance, he created the illusion of having a depth in the landscape scenery, which allowed the extension to be propelled even further. The composition of the painting is also magnificent. Christ's figure is not overlapped and is in the center of the apostles. With his arms outstretched, he creates a triangular form representing the Holy Trinity by having the three points. Leonardo's use of a one-point linear perspective also is very brainy. He made the vanishing point, Christ's head. That means that everything within the composition will lead the viewer's eye directly to Christ as the focal point. He also completed this goal by framing Christ within the rectangular window and having him backlit by the light that is shining through the window. Due to these logical enhancements to the painting, this piece inspires others in the early Renaissance to form traditions of composition and perspective. Thanks to Leonardo da Vinci, we were able to see from that point on the beginning of the climactic years of the Renaissance which changed European art as we knew it and formed the beginning of the High Renaissance.
Why is it protected?
For Leonardo da Vinci to paint the mural on the wall, he used an oil/tempera mix and rapidly apply it to a dry wall. Many people mistake this masterpiece as being a traditional fresco painting. A fresco painting is when watercolor paints are mixed within a wet plaster wall. That allows the colors to penetrate the plaster and become fixed as it dries. Leonardo was not the biggest fan of frescos, which is why he invented his unique way to paint the commission. That is why he used the oil/tempera mix on a dry wall rather than the traditional fresco way because it would give him more of the oil painting look. Due to the change of paints, the painting began to wear off the wall, and even to this day, it continues to wear away.
This masterpiece is resilient because it's been damaged immensely over the years. The Santa Maria delle Grazie sits in a lower part of the city, which is prone to flooding and extreme dampness. The wall naturally absorbed the moisture and made the painting exposed. Further damage was caused when the convent's kitchen and candles were in use. The smoke from both continued to speed up the mural's decay.
In 1652, a door was cut into the wall on which the mural rested. At the time, the painting was not as well respected and acclaimed as it was today. Due to the inserted door, this cut out the area of which Jesus's feet were depicted.
By 1796, Napoleon took control of Milan and used the Santa Maria delle Grazie as their armies stables. The men would throw rock, brick, and horse manure at the painting. However, by 1800 a flood filled the room that contained The Last Supper with two feet of water for fifteen straight days. The walls had absorbed the moisture of the standing water, and mold started to eat away at the fresco.
More recently, during World War II, a Royal Air Force bomb struck the Santa Maria delle Grazie, which destroyed the roof of the convent. Leonardo's masterpiece was protected at the time by sandbags, mattresses, and pillows, which saved it from most damage. Unfortunately, the painting was exposed to the elements while the roof and walls were being reconstructed.
The restoration of the mural has been ongoing for centuries. Many restoration artists in the past had caused further damage to the painting because they believed that it was a traditional fresco. It wasn't until the 1900s when technological advancements were able to correctly analyze the painting's chemical components and realize it was not. In 1976, the Superintendent for Artistic and Historic Heritage in Milan ordered a complete examination of the work. The entirety of the inspection took a total of 21 years, finally ending in 1999. Due to this long period of analyzing, the room within Santa Maria delle Grazie that contains The Last Supper was converted into a climate-controlled, sealed room to help counteract the environmental aspects that would lead to further deterioration. Visitors today are required to pass through several pollutions and humidity filtration chambers before entering the room. Also, visitors are only allowed a limited time of 15-20 minutes to view the painting to avoid further moisture destruction.
Should I take the time to see it in person?
In my opinion, yes. The Last Supper is a painting that has changed art as we know it today. It also is deteriorating every single minute. It is almost unbelievable how resilient this one-piece has been to survive another day. The entirety of the visit is not going to be longer than 30 minutes due to the allowed time to view the painting only being 15-20 minutes, and it is a ticket only viewing. Security also is quick, so there will be no waiting around. To see an art masterpiece as recognizable as this one and have it only be a total of 30 minutes is almost unimaginable. Also, there is a limit on how many people are allowed in the temperature-controlled space, so it is one of the only masterpieces you can view and not be like a sardine fighting others for the perfect photo. Eventually, this painting could waste away easily, even in our lifetime, so I believe it is worth the 30 minutes out of your day to witness the spectacular work. This painting and Leonardo da Vinci himself have changed the art world for the better, and this piece alone can take your breath away.
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