The Last Supper: The Greatest Masterpiece of the Renaissance
The Last Supper is one of the most famous paintings in the world. The painting depicts the last meal that Jesus Christ had with his disciples before he was betrayed as chronicled in all four Gospels. It’s been praised by both the religious and non-religious crowds alike and it’s one of the most widely reproduced paintings out there. However, there are facts behind this painting that not everybody knows.
Da Vinci Created a New Technique for the Painting
The Last Supper painting wasn’t a canvas painting but rather painted on the wall in a dining room of the Convent of Santa Maria Delle Grazie. During the time, the technique for this were frescos. This type of painting was done on wet plaster. Da Vinci turned this technique away in large part because it forced the artist to finish their work before the plaster dried.
Instead, Da Vinci opted to create his own technique of directly painting stone with tempera paints. He started by priming the wall in hopes that it would protect the paint with moisture. Unfortunately, the experiment failed and The Last Supper started to chip only decades after its 1495 birth. Luckily, a 19-year restoration effort from 1980 to 1999 was successful in restoring it. This wasn’t the only restoration, though. Unsuccessful restorations occurred in 1726, 1770, 1853, 1903, 1924, 1928, and 1978 to no avail.
The wall that holds the painting has been changed as well which challenges preservation. A 1652 doorway was added that removed the lower center of the painting directly placed at Christ’s feet.
Judas Might Have Been Modeled After a Real-Life Criminal
If you aren’t familiar with the story, Judas Iscariot was the disciple that betrayed Christ to the Romans in the end. In the painting, he’s seen as the fifth person from the left. Each of the disciples in the painting had a real-life muse but Judas’ was unique. To find the perfect face for the infamous traitor, though, it’s said that Da Vinci scoured the Milan jails to find the perfect face.
It Isn’t Without Its Theories
Art is a wonderful thing because it’s open to interpretation. The Last Supper has boasted a lot of different theories over the years from apparent biblical symbolism to conspiracy theories.
First, the biblical. There are small touches in the painting that seem to reference other parts of the bible. For one, Judas holds a bag of silver symbolizing the “thirty pieces of silver” it took to bribe him into his betrayal. The spilled salt on the table is also theorized to symbolize bad luck.
Now for the more conspiratorial theories. Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince proposed that the painting was evidence of a cover-up by the Roman Catholic Church as to the true identity of Christ.
Another theory comes from a Vatican researcher named Sabrina Sforza Galitzia. She interpreted what she refers to as the mathematical and astrological signs in the painting that hint at the end of the world. By her translation, the painting foretells of an apocalyptic flood which she very specifically predicts will start on March 21, 4006 and last until November 1, 4006.
It’s Inspired More Art
The Last Supper is a powerful piece of art that has inspired many other artists over the year. This includes serious masterpieces as well as parodies. Even famous artists like Salvador Dali, Vik Muniz, Susan Dorothea White, and Andy Warhol have given their own rendition of the piece. The picture above shows Vicente Juan Macip’s spin on the classic.
The Fish On the Table
Moving back to the idea of symbolism in the painting, there is a symbolic meaning behind the fish Christ and his disciples are eating. However, that symbolism changes greatly depending on if the fish depicted is herring or eel which is still under debate.
The Italian words for eel and herring are “aringa” for eel and, in northern dialect, “renga” for herring. “Aringa” is close to the word “arringa” which is the verb for “to indoctrinate.” Needless to say, this has obvious symbolism for the burgeoning religion.
“Renga”, on the other hand, can also refer to a person who denies religion. Some professionals in artistic and religious history have inferred that this refers to the apostle Peter who Christ predicted would deny knowing him in the future.
Conclusion
The Last Supper has rightfully earned its place as one of the most famous paintings of all time. It’s rife with symbolism and a deeper meaning and it’s defied all odds to continue to exist through the ages. It has inspired many onlookers throughout the centuries and given us plenty of works of fiction, additional visual artworks, music, and even predictions for the future. The Last Supper is sure to continue to inspire onlookers for another set of centuries to come.
