Depicting the last meal before Jesus’
crucifixion, The Last Supper captures an important event in the Christian faith.
Though many artists tried their hand at The Last Supper, the world recognizes Leonardo
da Vinci’s masterpiece the most. Despite being completed in 1498,
this mural is still one of the most known paintings of all time.
From the 3 years that Da Vinci spent painting this masterpiece until the present, many
mysteries have surrounded this piece of art. Here are 30 The Last Supper facts that will
deconstruct the secrets of this painting. Don't forget to like and subscribe for
more neat facts to discover the world, one click at a time! 1. Da Vinci painted The Last Supper to capture a very specific moment. At first glance, the painting only illustrates
Jesus’ having a meal with his disciples, but Da Vinci chose a particular moment of that
evening to paint. If you take a closer look, the painting shows the disciples in varying
degrees of shock and rage. That said, The Last Supper depicts the apostles’ reactions after
Jesus announced the betrayal about to happen. 2. The original painting can
only be found in Milan, Italy. As one of the most iconic paintings in the world,
The Last Supper has many replicas across the globe. However, the original painting still lies
in its original place at the Santa Maria Delle Grazie. Over the centuries, the painting
stayed in this Dominican convent in Milan to preserve its delicate condition. 3. The Last Supper is not a mainstream art. When Da Vinci completed The Last Supper in 1495,
the early art industry heavily focused on Frescos or mural paintings with water-based paints.
Although it was painted on a wall, Da Vinci didn't follow the fresco technique because of several
reasons. For one, frescos would need the painter to rush the work before the plaster could dry.
With more attention to detail, Da Vinci wanted to achieve something grander than what the
Fresco method could allow at the time. 4. Da Vinci used his technique in painting the Last Supper. Since the fresco technique limited
his capabilities as an artist, Da Vinci had to go with a different
technique. Using tempera paints on stone, Da Vinci primed the wall to eliminate
moisture. This base layer helped capture the grander luminosity he was
aiming for in the final product. 5. Most of the brushstrokes from the original Last Supper is gone. While Da Vinci’s technique initially gave his
painting a stunning appearance, it did not do much for its life span. Although the painting became
known as one of many firsts in art, historians say that Da Vinci’s tempera method greatly
contributed to the painting’s eventual decay. By the start of the 16th century, the painting
was already showing signs of flaking and fading. Before we even knew it, The Last Supper became
a ruin of its glory after only 50 years. 6. A nail and hammer helped Da Vinci
achieve The Last Supper's depth. While painting, your perspective makes or
breaks your piece. According to historians, Da Vinci’s striking use of perspective played
a large part in The Last Supper’s success. To capture the perfect angles that make
up the scene, Da Vinci hammered a nail into a wall and tied the canvas to
a string with guided marks. 7. The Last Supper may have been
modeled after real individuals. Technicalities aside, one look at the painting
can help you appreciate the vivid and realistic expressions of the apostles. Because of this,
some theories have claimed that the apostles’ likeness were based on real-life people.
Some of these theories even suggest that Leonardo Da Vinci painted Judas Iscariot in
the likeness of an actual criminal. 8. Earlier paintings of The Last Supper
depicted Jesus with a halo on His head. Like many Biblical events, The Last Supper
is one of the most significant imagery in Christian faith. This is why many artists have
also made their own depictions of The Last Supper, which often featured Jesus with
a halo in their renditions. However, Da Vinci opted not to paint
a halo, possibly due to his beliefs. Some historians suggest that Da Vinci’s choice
came from believing nature alone instead of God. As a result, he may have painted
everyone at the table as common people. 9. The Last Supper is a symbolic artwork. For many years, scholars and historians have studied each element in Da Vinci’s
The Last Supper. According to them, the painting teems with symbolism that
you can find just about anywhere. For example, you could see salt spilled
from its container near the elbow of Judas. According to scholars, Da Vinci may have
been portraying bad luck, religion, or loss. On a brighter note, some interpret it as a
symbolism of Jesus as the salt of the earth. 10. There are debates on the meaning
of fish in the Last Supper table. Aside from the main subjects, some scholars have
tried to interpret the food in the painting. One of the most common debates is whether the fish
is an eel or a herring. In Italian, eel translates to aringa, which also means indoctrination.
Additionally, an Italian dialect for herring is renga, which can also describe
someone denying religion. 11. There are 3 copies of the original Last Supper painting. In the early 16th century, three of Leonardo da
Vinci’s students made copies of the painting. Da Vinci’s student Giampietrino made the
first full-scale copy which can now be found in London’s Royal Academy of Arts.
The second one came from Andrea Solari, which now lies in Belgium’s
Leonardo da Vinci Museum. Lastly, the third copy by Cesare da Sesto can be found
at the Church of Saint Ambrogio in Switzerland. 12. The Last Supper painting has suffered a lot of damage. Aside from its natural decay, The Last Supper has
also endured other damages through the centuries. In 1652, the construction of a door damaged
a big chunk from the artwork – particularly, the feet of Jesus. The wall was further
damaged during the 18th Century, when soldiers made the area into a stable. 13. You have to book four months ahead
to view the Last Supper painting. If you want to see this masterpiece in the
flesh, you’d have to prepare months in advance. You can usually secure a viewing
for around 2-15 Euros. However, you need to get it 4 months before your actual
visit, since it’s a hot item all year round! 14. Viewers of the Last Supper mural have time limits. Despite many restoration efforts, the painting
still remains as a fragile piece of art. In an effort to preserve and slow down
the deterioration of the painting, visitors can only view it for 15 minutes in small groups at a time. 15. Da Vinci's Last Supper was the most
famous painting that depicted Jesus. Although many iconic art pieces
have depicted religious themes, scholars consider The Last Supper
as Jesus’ most famous painting. 16. You can find a pretzel
in the Last Supper painting. You’d be surprised to know that there’s a
half-eaten pretzel at the table during the Last Supper meal. Although you may think of it as
a fairly recent snack, pretzels have been around for ages, even representing spiritual meanings. In
the middle ages, people only ate pretzels during Lent’s penitential season. It’s said that Jesus
gives the other half of the pretzel to Judas, which symbolizes how Christ has
offered him penance from his sins. 17. Mary Magdalene was not
in Da Vinci’s painting. Many speculations suggest that the person
meant to occupy the space on Jesus’ left side was Mary Magdalene. Although historians confirm
that she was there during the actual event, Da Vinci did not include her in the painting. 18. The disciples fell asleep after the Last Supper. Right after their meal, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray and
lament His crucifixion. Before leaving, He asked His disciples to stay awake for an hour or so to
keep watch. However, they all fell asleep. 19. The Duke of Milan commissioned the Last
Supper in 1494 for their family mausoleum. During Da Vinci’s first extended stay in the
city, he got commissioned by Ludovico Sforza, his patron and the Duke of Milan. This also
explains why the three lunettes above the original mural bear the Sforza coats of
arms with the family’s initials. 20. The Last Supper restorations
have been controversial. While done with good intentions, many
have criticized the restoration attempts for the painting, as it stripped the
work of Da Vinci’s nuanced details. With the original details
lost to time or painted over, the piece seen today is only an echo of
Da Vinci’s original masterpiece. 21. The painting’s first
restoration lasted 20 years. Starting in 1999, restorers worked in small
sections to remove previous retouches, dirt, and coats of varnish to the painting.
Similarly, they added beige watercolour to the parts beyond repair. 22. The Last Supper may also have number symbolism. The mural portrays the disciples in clusters of 3, with 3 windows behind Jesus’ that
may symbolize the Holy Trinity. 23. The Last Supper counts as the
first celebration of the Eucharist. Aside from Jesus’ announcement, the painting also
captures the moment before the first Eucharist, where Jesus took a symbolic
glass of wine and bread. Eventually, this practice became a key
symbol in the Christian sacraments. 24. Many external factors
influenced the painting’s decay. While sitting in its sanctuary, the painting
suffered from the exhaust of the monastery’s kitchen, the soot from its candles, and
the location’s overall dampness. 25. World War II’s vibrations contributed to the
damage of the original Last Supper painting. In World War II, the painting got significantly
damaged when an Allied bomb crashed into the refectory that housed the painting. While
the painting survived, the collapsed roof and wall exposed it to the elements for
months until reconstruction completed. 26. The Last Supper is also
known as the Cenacolo. Upon its completion in 1498, the painting
became known to Italy as Il Cenacolo or L’Ultima Cena. 27. Many consider this piece as a complex study of human emotions. Da Vinci believed that a subject’s posture, gesture, and expression should
reflect the notions of the mind. As such, he painted the expressions of
each disciple based on their personality. 28. Mary Shelley criticized
copies of The Last Supper. Aside from Frankenstein, Gothic novelist
Mary Shelly also wrote of her impression of the painting in her 1844 travel
narrative, Rambles in Germany and Italy. The author claimed that Da Vinci’s original rendition portrayed a divine element that
could not be seen in the replicas. 29. The Da Vinci Code used The Last Supper
as a basis for a controversial theory. Dan Brown's 2003 novel The Da Vinci
Code gained controversy for one of its characters suggesting Mary Magdalene’s
involvement with The Last Supper. From there, many people have speculated on theories claiming
her alleged romantic entanglement with Jesus. 30. Music may be hidden in The Last Supper. In 2011, Italian musician Giovanni Maria Pala discovered a possible code hidden in the
painting in the form of a musical piece. Upon close inspection and experimentation, Pala
indicated that the positions of the hands and loaves of bread could be interpreted as notes on
a musical staff. Once read from right to left like Da Vinci’s writing, the resulting notes form
a piece said to be solemn like a requiem. Of all the world’s known art pieces, The
Last Supper may be the most controversial one tied to conspiracies and
supernatural elements. We may never get a chance to
know Da Vinci’s true intent, but the fact that it keeps people guessing until
today says a lot about the art and the artist. If you enjoyed our video, don't forget to like, share and subscribe to our channel for more Facts videos!
