The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci in 2 minutes

Website https://www.leonardoamilano.org
Facebook   / leonardoamilano  
Instagram   / leonardoamilano  

The Last Supper: why it is a masterwork, and why it is so difficult to see it.
Find out more on http://www.leonardoamilano.com

Video by http://www.invisiblestudio.it

Transcript:

This incredible painting was commissioned to Leonardo by the Dominican monks who owned the Santa Maria delle Grazie monastery. Leonardo took four years to complete it, but the result was astonishing. Leonardo managed to represent perfectly the tempest of emotions created by the unexpected announce of Christ: "One of you will betray me". It's like being there, I can assure you, as a tour guide I've seen it so many times yet it always moves me, because it's like a frozen emotional explosion and it has a cinematographic quality that perfectly suits our modern sensibility.

The Last Supper summarizes in itself all the various aspects of the genius of Leonardo. For example his absolute attention to detail is expressed in the realism of even the smallest objects, like the food or the crisps of the table cloth. You can find his deep knowledge of the human nature in the different emotions he put in the faces and gestures of the Apostles, rage, pain, surprise, incredulity. And try to get the subtle way in which he paints the relationship between Christ and Judas, the only two people in that room knowing the truth about the traitor, and therefore united by this painful awareness. There are so many layers of meaning and symbols and details that make it a masterwork I could go on for hours.

But beware: if you haven't booked your tickets well in advance, there is little possibility you can get to see it. Unfortunately this is the result of the experimental technique used by Leonardo for painting the Last Supper, egg tempera on wall, which gave him spectacular artistic results but proved very fragile over time, making the Last Supper always at risk of vanishing forever. That's why entrances have to be rigorously limited, no more than 30 people every 15 minutes, and that's why it's so difficult to find the tickets.

#leonardodavinci #lastsupper #milan