The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci is in the refectory of the Dominican convent attached to the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Painted between 1494 and 1498 under the rule of Ludovico il Moro, Leonardo, abandoning the traditional method of fresco painting depicts the scene on the “dry” wall of the refectory. It is the most famous representation of the Last Supper, a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance in general. 

Because of the unique experimental technique used by Leonardo, which is incompatible with the humidity of the environment, the painting of the Last Supper for centuries has been approaching a poor state of preservation. In the course of one of the longest and widespread restoration of history, which lasted from 1978-1999, it has been, as far as possible, enhanced with the latest technology in the industry.

In the book “LVIII” (1497), Matteo Bandello provided a valuable record of how Leonardo worked on this painting:

« He usually […] leaves early in the morning to get on the platform, because the Last Supper is quite high off the ground, he often, I say, from the rising sun until the evening twilight ever takes the brush out of his hand, but forgetting eating and drinking, without ceaseing to paint. He would then stay two, three and four days that he  didn’t lay a hand on it and yet dwelling at times one or two hours of the day and only contemplating, considering and examining by himself , judging his figures. I have also seen the second that a caprice or whim triggered him, he would depart at mid day when the sun is high, from Courte Vecchia where he compose the magnificent horse of earth, and went straight to le Grazie and ascended on the platform, may take the brush and one or two strokes to one of those figures, and then depart and go elsewhere.»
(Matteo Bandello, Novella LVIII)

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