The Last Supper

Journal Excerpt

Friday, March 4th 2011
Milan, Italy

Saw the Last Supper today...

just to get into the room it's located in, you have to go through 2 previous chamber-type rooms that regulate temperature control and remove pollution & debris from your body, purifying, so as to not bring damaging elements into the room in order to preserve the painting. Only 25 people at a time are allowed in the room to view it. This is because Leonardo Da Vinci used paints one would use to paint a canvas, but that do not suffice as well on a wall/mural painting. The paints he used are much harder to preserve and are not long-lasting, but he did this so he could take as much time as he needed on the painting, carefully constructing each move until it was perfect. The paints he used allowed him to go back and make changes, which he was constantly doing. He put so much time and effort into his work, using science and research to perfect it, sketching out every move before executing it. He studied sound waves and ripples to make the positions of the subjects appear fluid and circular. He researched biblical and religious documents in order to convey each apostle's exact emotion and include iconography and significant elements in every detail. He chose Jesus' right temple as the focal point to create perfect illusion and distance perspective and to draw attention to the Christ. While it took Leonardo so long to finish one wall, Michaelangelo spent only 5 years painting the entire Sistine Chapel. This also explains why it was not such a process to get through the Sistine as it was the Last Supper, because it was made from Fresco and in much better shape. A lot of detail in the painting had already been lost, including Jesus' feet at the bottom of the table due to some Dominican Monks staying in the refectory who wanted to widen the door for easier kitchen access, as well as the floral detailing in the tapestry lost as a result of aging. Then, the Last Supper suffered from a bombing in 1943 during the war and was subjected to the conditions of nature while the refectory was rebuilt. The restoration lasted until 1999. Yet still, it is a miraculous and beautiful thing that it happened to be the only wall (along with the crucifixion painting) that survived the war and is still in tact today, though probably not for long. And so they strive each day, taking every precaution to preserve this masterpiece for as long as possible so that future generations may have the same opportunity I was so graciously given to awe at all its glory.