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Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper, 1497-1498 (from Web Gallery of Art) |
Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece,
The Last Supper, is on the wall in the refectory (dining room) of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. According to the Web Gallery of Art,
The real dining room appears to be continued in the perspectivally
painted one, but on a higher level: the prior's table is upstaged by
that of Christ and the apostles above. Christ and the apostles seem to
have taken their place in the monk's dining hall in Milan, as it were.
The emphatic gestures of the larger-than-life-size, heroic figures would
have contrasted once with the quiet, controlled meal of the monks. A
sublime, sacred drama overshadowed the worldly meal and focused the
brothers' attention religious meditation. Leonardo depicted a specific
moment of the Last Supper: Christ has just announced that he will be
betrayed by one of the disciples, and the community of apostles reacts
with agitation and questioning.
That is a coincidence: my mother's parents had a copy of this in their kitchen, above their kitchen table.