AP Art History: Last Supper-- #73
Thursday, May 26, 2022
Bio of the work:
Title: Last Supper
Date:1497
Medium: Oil and Tempura
Location: Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy
Analysis:
One of the most iconic and famous works of Christian art, The Last Supper was painted by Leonardo da Vinci directly on an exterior refectory, eating room, wall of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. It depicts Jesus and his disciples in a climactic scene of Jesus's last meal before his crucifixion. It was commissioned by Ludovico Sforza, duke of Milan (Garnder, Kleiner 629). On August 26, 1943, the church and monastery were hit with a bomb, damaging the building and putting The Last Supper in serious danger. This air raid was said to have been from Allied forces, and it damaged multiple other important sites including the ruins of Pompeii (United Press 4). Multiple walls were blown up as well as large portions of the roof. In the refectory, The Last Supper thankfully suffered little damage, but a wall the roof were damaged, so the painting was unprotected during the rebuilding of the structure. However, The Last Supper itself is in much poorer condition today than the church and monastery itself. In experimentation, Leonardo mixed oil and tempura paint to create a different texture to the painting, also painting on a dry surface instead of the traditional wet. Due to Leonardo's painting style, Milan's extremely humid and hot climate, and past failed restorative practice, the painting is flaking and is in constant need of repair ("Church and Dominican" UNESCO).
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