Where is the "Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci - the famous fresco

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

If you try to recall the masterpieces of painting that have been copied countless times, then one of the first in this series will be the fresco "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci. Written over two years, from 1495 to 1497, already in the Renaissance, she received about 20 "heirs" of the same subject, written by masters of the brush of Spain, France and Germany.

I must say that even before Leonardo, some Florentine artists already used this plot in their work. Unfortunately, only the works of Giotto and Ghirlandaio have become known to modern art historians.

Leonardo da Vinci in Milan

Connoisseurs of painting, and especially the work of Leonardo da Vinci, have long known the location of the world-famous fresco. But many fans are still wondering where the "Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci is located. The answer to it will lead us to Milan.

The creative period dating back to the time of work in Milan, like the whole life of the artist, is shrouded in secrets and for hundreds of years is fanned by manylegends.

Leonardo da Vinci, known as a lover of riddles, puzzles and secret ciphers, left behind a huge number of puzzles, some of which have not yet succumbed to the puzzles of scientists around the world. It may seem that both the life and work of the artist are a complete mystery.

Leonardo and Ludovico Sforza

The appearance of Leonardo in Milan is directly related to the name of Ludovico Maria Sforza, nicknamed Moro. The imperious ruler and talented figure in many areas, the Duke of Moreau, in 1484, ordered Leonardo da Vinci, who had already become famous by that time, to serve. The paintings and engineering talent of the artist attracted the attention of a far-sighted politician. He planned to use the young Leonardo as a hydraulic engineer, civil engineer and military engineer. And he was not wrong. The young engineer never ceased to amaze Moreau with his inventions. Such technical developments as new models of cannons and light weapons, the design of bridges, unthinkable for those times, and mobile carts for military needs, invulnerable and impregnable, were offered to the duke's court.

Milan. Shrine of Santa Maria delle Grazie

By the time Leonardo arrived in Milan, the construction of the Dominican monastery was already underway. Having become the main architectural accent of the monastery complex, the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie was completed under the direction of Donato Bramante, already a well-known Italian architect at that time.

Duke Sforza planned to expand the area of the temple and place here the tomb of his great family. Leonardo da Vinci was recruited to work on the biblical story The Last Supper in 1495. The place for the fresco was determined in the refectory of the temple.

Where to see The Last Supper?

To make it easier to understand where the "Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci is located, you need to face the temple from the side of Corso Magenta street and look to the left side, the extension. Today it is a completely restored building. But the Second World War did not stint on destruction. Eyewitnesses said that after the air raids, the temple was almost completely destroyed, and the fact that the fresco remained intact was called nothing short of a miracle.

Today, millions of art lovers aspire to the place where the "Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci is located. Getting here is not easy. During the tourist season, you need to book a place in the excursion group in advance. And in order to preserve the masterpiece, visitors are allowed into the hall in small groups, and the viewing time is limited to 15 minutes.

Long and painstaking work on the fresco

The work on the mural was progressing slowly. The artist worked chaotically, however, like all geniuses. Either for several days he did not tear himself away from the brush, then, on the contrary, he did not touch it for days. Sometimes, right in broad daylight, he would drop everything and run to his work to make just one brush stroke. Art historians find several explanations for this. First, the artist decided to choose a new look for the work.painting - not with tempera, but with oil paints. This allowed constant additions and adjustments to the images. Secondly, the constant refinement of the plot of the meal allowed the artist to once again endow the heroes of The Last Supper with associative secrets. A description of the comparisons of the apostles with real characters, contemporaries of Leonardo, today can be found in any art history reference book.

Search for prototypes and inspiration

While taking daily walks in different quarters of the city, among merchants, the poor and even criminals, the artist peered into faces, trying to find features that could be endowed with his characters. He could be found in a variety of taverns, sitting in the company of the poor and telling their entertaining stories for them. He was interested in human emotions. As soon as he caught an interesting expression for himself, he immediately sketched it. Some of the artist's preparatory sketches have been preserved by history for posterity.

Inspiration and images for the future masterpiece Leonardo was looking not only among the faces on the streets of Milan, but also among his surroundings. His "employer" Sforza, who appeared in The Last Supper in the guise of Judas, was no exception. The legend says that the reason for this decision was the banal jealousy of the artist, who was secretly in love with the duke's favorite. Only a brave artist could make such a choice. The Last Supper has not only the secret ciphers of the prototypes, but also a unique lighting solution.

Scenic light falling frompainted windows, becomes truly realistic when combined with the natural light of the fresco from a window located on the adjoining wall. But today this effect is not observed, since the window on the wall is completely darkened in order to preserve the masterpiece.

The impact of time and the preservation of a masterpiece

Time quickly proved the wrong choice of painting technique. It took only two years for the artist to see his work greatly changed. Painting with oil paints was short-lived. Leonardo da Vinci begins to carry out the first restoration of the fresco, but only after 10 years. He also involved his students in the restoration work.

For 350 years, the place where the "Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci is located has undergone many reconstructions and alterations. An additional door, cut into the refectory by the monks in 1600, badly damaged the fresco, and by the 20th century, Jesus' legs were completely erased.

Before World War II, the fresco was restored eight times. With each restoration work, new layers of paint were applied, and gradually the original was greatly distorted. Difficult work lay ahead for art historians to determine the original idea of Leonardo da Vinci. Paintings, drawings, anatomical records of the artist are stored in many museums around the world, but Milan is rightfully considered the owner of the only fully completed large-scale work of the artist.

Titanic work of modern restorers

In the 20th century, work on the restoration of the Last Supper was already carried out using modern technologies. Gradually,layer by layer, restoration artists removed the age-old dust and mold from the masterpiece.

Unfortunately, today it is recognized that only 2/3 of the original fresco remains, and half of the colors used by the artist originally have been irretrievably lost. To prevent further damage to the fresco, uniform humidity and air temperature are maintained today in the refectory of the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

The last restoration work was carried out for 21 years. In May 1999, the world again saw the creation of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper". Milan staged grandiose celebrations on the occasion of the opening of the fresco for the audience.