The Last Supper

Summary

In Milan's Santa Maria della Grazie, Drs. Steven Zucker and Beth Harris explore Leonardo da Vinci's 'Last Supper'. They discuss the painting's narrative, depicting the apostles' reactions to Christ's declaration of betrayal and the institution of the Eucharist. The analysis highlights the emotional expressions, the use of geometry and perspective focusing on Christ, and the contrast between divine serenity and human chaos. The video also touches on the painting's conservation challenges due to Leonardo's experimental techniques.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The setting of Leonardo da Vinci's 'Last Supper' is in the refectory of Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan, where monks would dine and view the painting multiple times a day.
• 🍞 The painting depicts the moment after Christ announces that one of his apostles will betray him, capturing the apostles' reactions to this shocking revelation.
• 🛑 Christ's gesture in the painting is central to the sacrament of the Eucharist, where he is seen reaching towards both bread and wine, symbolizing his body and blood.
• 🔍 The painting is interpreted by scholars in various ways, focusing on the timing of Christ's words and the apostles' responses, as well as the institution of the sacrament.
• 👤 Judas, the apostle who will betray Christ, is shown with a bag of silver, his face in shadow, and reaching towards the same bowl as Christ, indicating his betrayal.
• 📐 Leonardo da Vinci's use of geometry and perspective in the painting, such as the equilateral triangle formed by Christ and the circular framing of his head, creates a divine and central presence.
• 🌟 The contrast between the calm and serene figure of Christ and the chaotic, energetic reactions of the apostles highlights the human experience amidst divine events.
• 👥 The apostles are grouped in sets of three, with overlapping figures and gestures that create drama and tension, reflecting the emotional responses to the Last Supper's events.
• 👀 The painting emphasizes the use of body language to reveal the internal nature of the characters, particularly in the expressions and postures of the apostles.
• 🖼️ Leonardo's 'Last Supper' simplifies the scene compared to earlier depictions, focusing on the figures and their gestures, and creating a separation between the viewer's world and that of Christ and the apostles.
• 🗓️ The painting's condition has deteriorated over time due to Leonardo's experimental technique of using oil paint and tempera on dry plaster, which was not typical for frescoes.

Q & A

Where is Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper located?

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci is located in Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan.

What is the significance of the room where the Last Supper is painted?

The Last Supper is painted in the refectory, a room where monks would eat their meals in silence, allowing them to contemplate the artwork during their daily routines.

How does the painting depict the moment after Christ announces the betrayal?

The painting captures the immediate reactions of the apostles to Christ's declaration that one of them will betray him, showing a range of emotional responses around the table.

What is the sacrament being instituted in the painting?

The painting depicts the institution of the sacrament of the Eucharist, also known as Holy Communion, where Christ gives the bread and wine to his apostles as symbols of his body and blood.

How does the depiction of Christ's hands in the painting contribute to its narrative?

Christ's hands are shown reaching towards both the bread and a glass of wine, symbolizing the Eucharist, while also indicating the betrayer by reaching towards a bowl that Judas is also reaching for.

Who is Judas, and how is he portrayed in the painting?

Judas is the apostle who will betray Christ, identified by his grasping a bag of silver and his face being cast in shadow, indicating his guilt and the forthcoming betrayal.

How does Leonardo da Vinci use the composition of the figures to create drama in the painting?

Leonardo da Vinci creates drama by arranging the apostles in groups of three, overlapping and interconnecting them, which enhances the emotional tension and contrast among their reactions.

What is the significance of the geometric composition around Christ in the painting?

Christ is placed at the center of an equilateral triangle and is framed by a circular window that acts as a halo, creating a calm, divine center amidst the chaos of human emotions.

How does the painting's perspective contribute to the viewer's experience?

The perspective in the painting is designed to be seen correctly from a higher viewpoint, suggesting an elevation of the viewer's perspective and focusing attention on the divine presence of Christ.

What technical challenges did Leonardo da Vinci face while creating the Last Supper?

Leonardo faced challenges due to his experimental use of oil paint and tempera on dry plaster instead of traditional fresco techniques, leading to the painting's deterioration soon after its completion.

How does the Last Supper reflect the High Renaissance ideals?

The Last Supper embodies High Renaissance ideals by integrating eternal and perfect elements within the chaos of human experience, showcasing a unified composition that unites the earthly and the divine.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 The Last Supper: Artistic Interpretation and Symbolism

This paragraph discusses the setting of Leonardo da Vinci's 'Last Supper' in the refectory of Santa Maria della Grazie, Milan, where monks would dine in view of the painting. It explores the narrative depicted in the artwork, focusing on the apostles' reactions to Jesus' declaration of betrayal and the institution of the Eucharist. The painting is interpreted as capturing the moment after Jesus' revelation, showing the apostles' shock and varied responses. The summary also touches on the artistic techniques used by da Vinci, such as the use of an equilateral triangle and circular framing to emphasize the divine presence of Christ, and the contrast between the calm center and the chaotic energy surrounding it.

05:03

🖌️ Leonardo's Last Supper: A Masterpiece of Perspective and Expression

The second paragraph delves deeper into the composition and emotional depth of 'The Last Supper.' It describes the innovative way da Vinci grouped the apostles in sets of three, creating a sense of unity and drama. The paragraph highlights the contrast between the serene figure of Christ and the intense reactions of the apostles, such as Thomas questioning God's plan and Phillip and James expressing shock and disbelief. The summary also addresses the technical challenges of the painting's condition due to da Vinci's experimental techniques, and the conservation efforts that have preserved this iconic work for future generations. The discussion concludes with an appreciation of how the painting unites the earthly and divine aspects of the Last Supper narrative.

Keywords

💡Last Supper

The Last Supper is a depiction of the final meal that Jesus Christ shared with his apostles before his crucifixion, as described in the Christian tradition. In the video, Leonardo da Vinci's 'Last Supper' is the central artwork being discussed, with a focus on its narrative and artistic elements. The painting captures the moment when Christ announces that one of his disciples will betray him, as well as the institution of the Eucharist.

💡Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was a renowned Italian polymath of the Renaissance, known for his contributions to art, science, and engineering. In the context of the video, da Vinci is the artist who painted 'The Last Supper,' and his work is analyzed for its narrative depth, artistic techniques, and symbolic elements.

💡Eucharist

The Eucharist is a Christian sacrament that commemorates Jesus' Last Supper with his apostles. It involves the consumption of bread and wine, which are believed to represent the body and blood of Christ. In the video, the Eucharist is highlighted as a central theme in da Vinci's painting, with Christ's actions of reaching towards the bread and wine symbolizing the sacrament.

💡Sacrament

A sacrament is a religious rite or ceremony that is considered to have a specific spiritual effect. In the video, the sacrament of the Eucharist is discussed as a key aspect of the Last Supper depicted in da Vinci's painting, where Christ's gestures towards the bread and wine are seen as instituting this sacrament.

💡Apostles

The apostles are the twelve main disciples of Jesus Christ, who played a significant role in the early Christian church. In the video, the reactions of the apostles to Christ's announcement of betrayal are analyzed, showing their shock and the range of human emotions in response to this revelation.

💡Judas

Judas Iscariot is one of the twelve apostles, infamously known for betraying Jesus Christ for 30 pieces of silver. In the video, Judas is identified by his actions and position in the painting, such as his grasping a bag of silver and his face being cast in shadow, symbolizing his betrayal and guilt.

💡Perspective

Perspective in art refers to the technique of creating the illusion of depth and three-dimensionality on a two-dimensional surface. The video discusses how da Vinci uses perspective in 'The Last Supper' to draw the viewer's eye towards Christ, the central figure, and to create a sense of space and depth within the painting.

💡Renaissance

The Renaissance was a period of cultural, artistic, intellectual, and economic revival that began in Italy in the 14th century and spread throughout Europe. In the video, the term 'High Renaissance' is used to describe the period and style in which da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' was created, characterized by a focus on harmony, proportion, and the idealized human form.

💡Fresco

A fresco is a method of painting on wet plaster, where the pigments become part of the plaster as it dries, creating a durable and long-lasting artwork. The video mentions that da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' was painted on dry plaster using a combination of oil paint and tempera, which led to the painting's deterioration over time.

💡Conservation

Conservation refers to the process of preserving and restoring cultural heritage, such as artworks, to prevent their deterioration and loss. In the video, the conservation of 'The Last Supper' is discussed as a crucial effort to maintain the integrity of this iconic artwork despite its initial technical flaws and the passage of time.

💡Divine

The term 'divine' refers to something related to a deity or exhibiting qualities of a god. In the video, the divine is used to describe the transcendent and eternal aspects of Christ's presence in the painting, as well as the spiritual significance of the Last Supper event depicted.

Highlights

The Last Supper is located in Santa Maria della Grazie, Milan, and is a significant work by Leonardo da Vinci.

The painting is situated in the refectory where monks would eat and view the artwork multiple times a day.

The depicted moment is after Christ announces that one of his apostles will betray him, causing shock and varied reactions among them.

Christ is shown reaching for both wine and bread, symbolizing the institution of the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Christ's hand position suggests he is reaching towards a bowl, which Judas also reaches for, indicating the betrayer.

Judas is portrayed with a bag of silver, his face in shadow, and pulling away from Christ.

The painting captures multiple moments of the Last Supper narrative, blurring the lines between them.

The absence of traditional divine symbols like halos conveys the importance of the scene through the figures' expressions and gestures.

Christ is at the center of an equilateral triangle and circle, with a window framing his head like a halo, creating a calm divine presence.

Leonardo da Vinci's integration of mathematics and science is evident in the painting's composition and perspective.

The figures are monumental and crowded, creating energy and chaos around Christ's perfect geometry.

The painting separates the world of Christ and the apostles from the viewer, with no room for entry or exit.

Judas is placed among the other apostles, using the table as a barrier between their world and ours.

Leonardo's portrayal of the apostles' faces and gestures reveals their emotional responses and internal nature.

The painting features four groups of three figures, creating drama and tension through their interactions.

Thomas is depicted pointing upward, questioning if the betrayal is part of God's plan.

The painting contrasts the calm divinity of Christ with the emotional turmoil of the apostles.

The perspective lines in the painting lead the viewer's gaze toward Christ, the focal point.

The painting's perspective is slightly skewed when viewed from the floor, suggesting a divine elevation.

The Last Supper is in poor condition due to Leonardo's experimental technique on dry plaster instead of wet.

Despite its condition, the painting is a perfect representation of the High Renaissance, blending the eternal and the human.

Transcripts

DR. STEVEN ZUCKER: We're in Santa Maria della

Grazie, in Milan, looking at Leonardo da Vinci's

Last Supper.

DR. BETH HARRIS: And we're in the room where the monks would

eat, their refectory, and so several times

a day, the monks would come in there

and eat silently, and be able to look up

at Leonardo's Last Supper.

DR. STEVEN ZUCKER: It's an ideal place, of course,

for this particular subject.

And not an uncommon one.

DR. BETH HARRIS: So let's talk about the story.

At the last supper, Christ says, "One of you

will betray me," to his twelve apostles.

DR. STEVEN ZUCKER: And one of the ways that this painting is

often read is as a reaction to that moment.

That is, this is not the moment when

Christ utters that, but the moment after,

when the reaction takes place.

These are his closest followers.

And so this is terribly shocking.

And so what we see is this incredible set

of reactions from the apostles around the table.

DR. BETH HARRIS: So that's one way

we can understand the fresco, but there's

another aspect of the narrative.

DR. STEVEN ZUCKER: Which is, in some ways, even more important.

Christ, you can see, is reaching towards both a glass of wine

and towards bread.

And this is the institution of the sacrament.

DR. BETH HARRIS: The sacrament of the Eucharist,

we might know it as Holy Communion, where Christ says,

"Take this bread, for this is my body.

Take this wine, for this is my blood.

And remember me."

And you can see that he reaches out

toward the bread and the wine.

DR. STEVEN ZUCKER: But what's interesting is

that Christ's hand is widely spread.

So it seems as if he's reaching towards the wine,

but at the same time, he's reaching toward a bowl.

And at the same moment, Judas is reaching

towards that same bowl.

DR. BETH HARRIS: Judas is the one

who's going to betray Christ.

He's been paid 30 pieces of silver by the Romans.

And you can see, he's grasped that bag of silver

in his right hand, as he pulls away from Christ,

his face cast in shadow.

DR. STEVEN ZUCKER: But he's pulling away at the same time

that he's still reaching out to the bowl.

And that's one of the ways that Christ identifies

who will betray him, the person who shares,

who dips with him in that bowl.

It's interesting, because the history of the art

history about this painting is really

about scholars arguing about what moment this is.

DR. BETH HARRIS: But I think there are all of these moments

here.

And the apostles could, just as easily,

be understood as reacting to Christ's words, "one of you

will betray me" as they could to Christ saying, "Take the bread,

for this is my body and take the wine, for this is my blood."

So, Leonard tells us several moments in this story,

and at the same time, gives us a sense

of the divine, eternal importance of this story.

We would never mistake this for 13 people having dinner.

We know this is the last supper.

We know that this is an important moment,

without any of the obvious symbols of the divine that we

would have in the early Renaissance, like the halo.

DR. STEVEN ZUCKER: The figures, themselves,

are monumental in this space, and too crowded for that table,

creating a kind of energy, a kind of chaos,

that surrounds the perfection, the solemnity,

the geometry of Christ.

DR. BETH HARRIS: That's right.

Christ forms an equilateral triangle.

His head is in the center of a circle.

The window that frames his head reads as a halo.

There's that calm center.

And then, human beings with all of their faults,

and fears, and worries, around that divine center.

DR. STEVEN ZUCKER: This is Leonardo da Vinci, who

is thinking about mathematics, he's thinking about science,

he's thinking about the integration

of all of these things.

DR. BETH HARRIS: If we look at earlier

images of the last supper, there's

lots of room at the table, there's

lots of decorations in the room.

What Leonardo does is he simplifies everything

and focuses us on those figures and their gestures.

And by making it so there's no room behind the table,

the figures take up so much space,

it's separating our world from the world

of Christ and the apostles.

There's no way for us to enter that space.

DR. STEVEN ZUCKER: In fact, there's

no way for them to move into our space.

There really is this demarcation.

DR. BETH HARRIS: In versions of the Last Supper that Leonardo

would have seen in Florence, Judas

is sitting on the opposite side of the table.

And by putting Judas with the other apostles,

he does use the table as a barrier between our world

and the world of the apostles.

DR. STEVEN ZUCKER: Let's look at those faces for just a moment.

Christ is so serene, his eyes are down, one hand is up,

one hand is down.

To his right is a group of three,

and there is Judas, who's facing away from us in shadow.

His neck is turned, reminding us that night he

will hang himself.

Now as he pulls away, Saint Peter, Christ's protector,

rushes in.

He's got a knife that he holds around his back.

And he comes in, seeming to say almost, who is it?

I need to defend you.

DR. BETH HARRIS: The third figure

in that group with Judas and Peter

would be Saint John, who looks very

resigned and closes his eyes.

And that's the tradition in paintings of the Last Supper.

My favorite three figures are the figures on the far right.

Leonardo was very interested in using the body

to reveal the soul, to reveal one's internal nature.

But Leonardo's creating these four groups

of three, that idea of knitting the figures together,

overlapping them with one another,

creating all this drama.

DR. STEVEN ZUCKER: And creating tensions and contrast

between the emotional responses of all these figures.

There's that incredible grouping of Thomas pointing upward.

DR. BETH HARRIS: As if to say, is

this something that is ordained by God?

Is this God's plan, that one of us should betray you?

DR. STEVEN ZUCKER: But of course, that finger also

foreshadows him actually proving Christ's resurrection,

by plunging that finger into Christ's wound.

And then we have Phillip and James the Major.

And they're in opposition, one throwing his arms out,

one bringing his hands together.

DR. BETH HARRIS: And if we were to compare this with earlier

Last Suppers, we would see the way

that the figures remained very separate from one another.

And here, that idea of unified composition, which

is so characteristic of the High Renaissance.

But what I sense here, more than anything,

is the divinity of Christ, here, in the center.

His calm.

The way that all of those perspective lines

bringing us toward him.

DR. STEVEN ZUCKER: It's interesting,

because that perspective that the artist is rendering

is slightly at odds with the perspective, as we see it,

from down here on the floor.

That is, we would need to be close to Christ's level

to see this painting in a perspective correct manner.

And it's interesting.

In a sense, it elevates us, as we look at this painting.

DR. BETH HARRIS: Right, we would have to be,

what, about 10 or 15 feet off the floor

to have the perspective work exactly perfectly.

So we have this divine presence in the center,

indicated in all of these different ways.

Now, keep in mind, we're not saying this the way that people

would have seen it, in 1498.

DR. STEVEN ZUCKER: The painting is in terrible condition,

in part because Leonardo experimented

with a combination of oil paint and tempera,

in an environment where fresco would be traditionally used.

And the painting began to deteriorate soon

after it was completed.

DR. BETH HARRIS: Right, unlike a traditional fresco,

which is painted on wet plaster, Leonardo

painted on dry plaster.

And the paint never really adhered to the wall.

So luckily for us, The Last Supper has been conserved.

DR. STEVEN ZUCKER: And so in some ways,

this is a perfect representation of the High Renaissance.

It is finding a way of creating a sense of the eternal, a sense

of the perfect, but within the chaos

that is the human experience.

DR. BETH HARRIS: That's right.

Uniting the earthly and the divine.