This is a large fresco completed by
Leonardo Da Vinci which was completed in 1498. It was done on dry plaster instead of wet plaster, which is why it started to flake almost immediately after it was finished. However, the dry plaster gave Da Vinci a more vibrant palette, and the colors appear to be brighter than other frescoes of the Renaissance. It is located originally in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. The scene depicts Jesus Christ telling the 12 Apostles that one of them will betray him. They are reacting in shock and bewilderment. This depiction of the Last Supper is unique because it shows the apostles acting like real people, with real emotions, which other depictions did not do. From left to right, the figures in the painting are as follows:
- Bartholomew: He's looking stunned, and he's dressed in blue and green.
- James Minor: He's in red, and clearly confused.
- Andrew: He is dressed in yellow and green, and he's holding his hands up in a wait, what? gesture.
- Judas: He's in gray, red, and green, and is clutching a bag of silver. He is the one who betrays Christ.
- Peter: He is in shock, and looks toward Christ for clarification.
- John: He is feminine looking, in blue and red. The popular movie the Da Vinci Code revolves around a conspiracy theory that the figure that is supposed to be John is actually Mary Magdalene. However, this is an incorrect assumption, since Da Vinci was taught at the Florentine School. The painters of the Florentine School painted young boys with a more feminine appearance. The reason for this is that during the Renaissance, young boys were often desired by older men. Today, we call this pedophilia, but then, it was common. Da Vinci was only keeping with tradition when giving John a feminine appearance, since Biblically, John is the youngest Apostle.
- Jesus Christ: The genius of the Last Supper is that all the lines draw the viewer's eye to the center of the painting, which is Jesus Christ's head. This is considered to be a very effective use of perspective and lines. Jesus Christ's feet used to be visible, but in the 17th century, someone decided that the perfect place to put a door would be in the middle of Da Vinci's Last Supper. Jesus is calm, even though everyone around him is in disarray.
- Thomas: He is in light green, and is completely appalled that Christ has just said that he will be betrayed.
- James Major: He is confused, like he can't believe what Christ said.
- Philip: Philip looks at Jesus, hoping he will clear up the confusion.
- Mathhew: He is looking at Simon for answers.
- Thaddeus: He is also looking at Simon for answers.
- Simon: Simon's just as confused as Matthew and Thaddeus
