The Last Supper

Leonardo da Vinci, possibly one of the greatest all around talents of the Renaissance, composed many artistic works.  One of his most famous works, known as The Last Supper, is a household staple for people of all kinds.  According to arthistory.com, it is the most reproduced image portraying religion. It took three years, from 1495-1498 for da Vinci to complete his work.  This image reveals the biblical scene of Christ accompanied by the apostles.  Located on the wall of a dining hall inside of a Convent in Milan, Italy; da Vinci's masterpiece still astounds viewers today. 

As we take a closer look at the painting, we can see the many vibrant colors (or what is left) throughout the composition.  The wear and tear of years has taken some of the life out of the painting, but the decay of this image can also be attributed to Leonardo's methods of applications.  According to the website, da Vinci used a dry plaster for his painting instead of the more traditional methods of wet plaster.  Little did da Vinci know that this would be the downfall to his own masterpiece.  Within years the dry plaster would start to peel and tear apart.  Every since, historians have worked diligently to try and keep the painting restored.  Da Vinci's method of dry plaster was not intended for the damage of his painting, but instead to allow all of the colors and details to become more dramatically enhanced.  We can also notice that in this image, Christ has no feet.  According to the website, this is simply because modifications were made to the building after da Vinci had completed the painting and a door was added almost directly into the image.  As our book by Zophy explains, da Vinci was known for his incompletion of paintings.  However, the Last Supper was one of his few works that was fully completed (Zophy 96).  We can also see the great amount of detail within the painting.  each member portrayed in this work has their own personality and facial expression.  From left to right, it is evident that each character gives their own personal message. Da Vinci viewed real life human props to create his delightfully detailed depiction of the disciples and of Christ.  Such realism combined with the story and color has landed this image a spot in the history books for many years to come.

Sources: http://arthistory.about.com/cs/leonardo/a/last_supper.htm
Jonathan W. Zophy, A Short History of Renaissance and Reformation Europe: Dances Over Fire and Water