How Leonardo da Vinci Painted The Last Supper: A Deep Dive Into a Masterpiece

When Leonardo da Vinci was 42 years old, he had not yet completed any major works to be shown to the public. It wasn’t that he was lazy. In the same era, while working for the nation, Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milanhe “develops, organizes, and directs productions such as festival pageants, triumphal processions, masks, jousting tournaments, and plays, and also choreographs their performances, designs and decorates sets and props, and even designs costumes.” ” explains gallerist and YouTuber James Payne. new great art commentary video aboveby establishing the context in which Leonardo would continue to paint. last supper.

For the definitive Renaissance man, theater was a natural venue for merging art, mechanics, and design. He understood “not only how perspective works in a three-dimensional arena, but also how perspective works from different perspectives,” and this knowledge was “the most important thing in his life.” This led to the question “What is a great theatrical production?” One of the twelve apostles would betray him.

This view is last The dinner makes more sense if you look at it not as an image taken out of context, as most of us do, but as an actual mural painted by Leonardo on an entire wall. Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milanthat space is expanded (and it makes more sense for everyone to sit on one side of the table).

Payne delves deeper than just the visual techniques used by Leonardo. last dinnerAlthough its composition was very strong, it also had untested painting techniques that resulted in faster deterioration. If you go to the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, keep in mind that at most a quarter of the paint on the murals was applied by Leonardo himself. The rest are the result of a long restoration process, made possible by the existence of several copies made after the work was completed. And in fact, it is only thanks to one of its copies (whose manufacturer included a label) that we can know which apostle is which. Unlike many of the creators of religious art before him, Leonardo did not do anything too obvious. Rather, he expressed his formidable skill through the kind of subtlety that only those who take the time to achieve.

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Based in Seoul, Colin Mbemust write and broadcastIt’s about cities, languages ​​and cultures. His projects include the Substack newsletter books about cities and a book Stateless City: A Stroll Through Los Angeles in the 21st Century. Follow him on the social network formerly known as Twitter. @Colinbemust.