The Thursday before Easter, we remember the Last Supper. Today I offer you a detail from one of the most famous artworks in the world: by Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), Christ from the Last Supper, 1495-1498, tempera on gesso, pitch and mastic, Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy. #davinci #fresco #lastsupper #arthistory
From the blog “Italian Art for Travelers,” © 2023 Gerriann Brower: “Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper is one of his most admired and recognizable art works. It is iconic, has been reproduced endlessly, parodied, and woven into conspiracy theories. Sometimes we’ve seen an artwork so many times we no longer see the qualities of the masterpiece. We may not be familiar with its place in history, or know why the art challenged the status quo.
Leonardo’s painting is full of symbolic meaning, but perhaps not what you think. There are no secret messages about mysterious societies and hidden clues like Dan Brown wrote about in The Da Vinci Code (2003). This fictional story is so persuasive I have had people ask me if The Da Vinci Code is true. Without a doubt, it is a very entertaining book. However, Jesus did not impregnant Mary Magdalene, and she is not disguised as an apostle. The Roman Catholic church has not been hiding their offspring, nor is St. John disguised as a woman. The apostle St. Peter did not contrive to hide the evidence of their relationship and child. Leonardo did not belong to secret societies such as the Priory of Sion or Knights Templar. He was much too busy writing in his notebooks and studying nature.”