The Last Supper

(http://www.join2day.net/abc/L/leonardo/leonardo4a.JPG)

The classic painting of Jesus and his disciples by Leonardo Da Vinci stands at 15x29 feet. The original is currently in the dining hall of the Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. The painting was completed in 1498, spanning a time frame of three years. The Last Supper was painted before Da Vinci's attempt, but his is the first version that portrayed human figures, doing human activities.

The linear perspective that Da Vinci accomplishes is famous. Every element that he uses, from the windows, to the walls, and the ceiling, leads the viewer's eyes back to Christ in the center.

The scene in the painting stages the last day before it was believed that one of Christ's disciples was going to betray him. Here, He invites everyone to eat with him as equals. He tells everyone how to eat and drink in remembrance of him. It is believed that this was the first celebration of the Eucharist. In this very scene, Christ has told them of the unfortunate events that was to come, and each member at the table shows expressions of worry, fright, or disgust.

If you notice, the disciples gathered around Christ are grouped in threes, all making a small triangular composition throughout the painting. From left to right is Bartholomew, James Minor, Andrew, Judas, Peter, John, Jesus Christ, Thomas, James Major, Philip, Matthew, Thaddeus, and Simon.

The technique that Leonardo Da Vinci uses to paint the mural was considered to be unconventional when it came to fresco painting. Instead of using wet plaster, he used dry plaster, which resulted in different palettes and textures to his liking, but also resulted in a flaky surface that fell apart little by little soon after it was completed. It has been vandalized and restored throughout history.

(http://arthistory.about.com/cs/leonardo/a/last_supper.htm)
(http://www.jaydax.co.uk/lastsupper/lastsupper.htm)