Research Paper On The Last Supper

Leonardo Da Vinci’s depiction of The Last Supper is recognized as one of the most iconic pieces of artwork during the Renaissance. While researching this painting it can be concluded that the Romans relied heavily on religion and the psychological aspect of it. Created within the years 1495-1498, The Last Supper offered a visual representation of Holy Thursday, in which Jesus and his Apostles share a final meal before his death and later his resurrection (Cascone). Born on April 15th in the year 1452, in Anchiano, Tuscany, Leonardo Da Vinci quickly became one of the great creative minds of the Italian Renaissance, highly influential as an artist and as a sculptor as well. Some of his most revered pieces of artwork include The Mona Lisa,
The Vitruvian Man, and of course, The Last Supper. As great as a painter Leonardo was, he did have other interests. He was fascinated by science, spending a lot of time in nature, testing experiments and recording them in a notebook.
Because of Leonardo’s dissimilar interests, many of his paintings and projects never were completed. However, many of his notebook recordings were preserved and are now scattered throughout different museums today, which some say is art on its own .But that is not the only piece of artwork of Leonardo’s put into a museum, he created one of the rarest and most sought after paintings in the world, The Last Supper. There are only two known copies of this piece of art, one copy rests in the Royal Academy of Arts in London while the other rests in the Church of St. Ambrogio in Ponte Capriasca, Switzerland (Hope). Great time and precision went into each piece of work Leonardo created To do so he sealed the stone wall surface and immediately painted over it with different oils, like it was a panel made out of wood. Consequently, his work began deteriorating because there was nothing there for it to be
preserved with (Hope). This wasn't just any ordinary painting to the people, or to Leonardo for that matter, it was commissioned by Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan. He was chosen to complete the painting on the wall of the Convent of Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan, Italy. The wall chosen by Sforza was the end wall of the dining hall, a spot certainly everyone would be looking at as they entered. Sforza’s goal was to have this piece as the centerpiece in his room Cascone). The painting, with dimensions approximately 15 feet by 29 feet, depicts the last supper of Jesus with his apostles right before he was crucified, which can be seen in the Gospel of John 13:21.
Da Vinci made it clear to portray in his painting that one of them seated at that table was going to betray Jesus. While also displaying that everyone in the room knew that one of them was going to betray Jesus. But when looked at even more in depth, one could figure out the character and morals of each person shown in the painting. The painting displays the reaction of the disciples upon learning that one of them would betray Jesus. The mathematical symbolism behind the painting contains a number of allusions to the number 3, which many say was on purpose to represent the Holy Trinity. The disciples are seated in groups of three; there are three windows, while the figure of Jesus is given a triangular shape, marked by his head and two outstretched arms. The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci reveal the names and reactions of the different apostles seated at the table. Bartholomew, James (son of Alpheus) and Andrew sit in a group of three. Together, they give the appearance of genuine surprise at the news.Next we see the group of Judas Iscariot, Peter and John. Judas seems to fade off into the background. He appears to be holding a bag of money. Experts disagree on whether Da Vinci had intended this to be representative of the silver he was paid to betray Jesus or the fact that he was
treasurer of the disciples. Judas is also tipping over the salt shaker, which symbolizes the Eastern expression that tipping over the salt is to betray one's master. In this grouping, Peter appears to be angry, and his handling of the knife seems to foreshadow his reaction to Jesus' arrest. The youngest disciple of the group, John, appears to be fainting. In the middle sits Jesus, who appears to be encircled with light. In the third grouping of three, we see an upset apostle Thomas with a raised index finger, which could be indicative of his shock to learn of the resurrection. James the Greater and Philip both appear to be stunned. James is depicted with his arms in the air. In the final grouping of three, Matthew, Jude Thaddeus and Simon the Zealot are looking at one another, seemingly searching for answers. People over the years have speculated that there is much more to Leonardo’s painting that meets the eye. He has been known to instill secret messages woven throughout his art, also known as the Da Vinci code. The painting depicts the last Passover dinner Jesus shared with his disciples before his death. Leonardo attempts to capture the moment when Jesus announces he will be betrayed and that one of the men at the table will be his betrayer. The most significant clue left by Leonardo, according to Brown, is that the disciple usually identified as John in the picture is actually Mary Magdalene. Indeed, a quick look at the painting seems to confirm this. The person to Jesus' right has long hair and smooth skin with what might be regarded as feminine features compared to the older, rougher-looking apostles around them. These symbolic details just goes to show that this wasn't just a painting, there was a much deeper religious and psychological aspect to it. The importance put on this mural by Leonardo proves that religion was valued quite high during this era. The painting was also depicted the way it was to get the people to think about their own lives and their own morals. With each face looking around to see who will betray Jesus and who will do the right thing begs the question of right vs. wrong in society. Also showing that who will step up and protect Jesus or who will step up and do what is right in real life. With the strong emphasis placed on religion, a painting such as this one will really connect psychologically with the people to better help them understand what kind of person they are. The Renaissance can be defined as the activity, spirit, or time of the great revival of art, literature, and learning in Europe beginning in the 14th century and extending to the 17th century, marking the transition from the medieval to the modern world. So, it makes perfect sense as to why this particular piece of work would become so popular. For starters, his artwork was knew and never seen seen before. He involved little minute details and perfect geometric proportions which encapsulate the new innovation taken place during this era. This Painting shows the Renaissance ideals of classicism and realism. For example, classicism, because there is some architecture that was similar to the Greek and Roman. Another example is realism because there is perspective and realistic colors. Last Supper is another one of the many examples of Leonardo Da Vinci showing the major Renaissance values in his work. ortions which encapsulate the new innovation taken place during this era. With all that being said, this is a great painting to get to know the history of. Knowing about this painting gives us great insight on the Renaissance as a whole. It shows the value placed on artwork and how Leonardo as well as other artists pioneered the way for future artists to create their masterpieces.With Leonardo’s The Last Supper, he set the foundation of complexity in art and his pieces of work will always be remembered as the gold standard of creation.