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The stories, symbols and history behind great art

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Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper, 1495–1498. Refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan.

The Last Supper

Il Cenacolo

Artist
Leonardo da Vinci
Date
1495–1498
Medium
Wall painting on dry plaster
Dimensions
460 × 880 cm
Location
Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano, Milan

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Leonardo da Vinci's mural in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan shows the moment Jesus announces that one of the apostles will betray him. Painted on the dry wall between 1495 and 1498, it is one of the most influential images in Western art and one of the most fragile.

Historical context

Leonardo painted the mural for the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, on a commission from Ludovico Sforza, ruler of Milan.1 The museum dates it to 1495–1498.2

Instead of true fresco, Leonardo painted on the dry wall so that he could work slowly and revise.2 The paint began to flake within a few years, and later damage, including a doorway cut in 1652 and bombing in 1943, made its survival precarious.1 A restoration completed in 1999 lasted about twenty years.2 Since 1980 the work has been part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.2

Interpretation

Leonardo concentrates on the apostles' reactions to Jesus's words, arranging them in groups of three around a calm central figure.1 The architecture converges on Jesus's head, and the window behind him takes the place of a halo.3

Judas is set among the apostles rather than apart from them; he grips a purse and reaches towards the same dish as Jesus, details that identify the betrayer.1

Symbols and meanings

Judas's purseEstablished fact
The small bag in Judas's hand is read as the payment for the betrayal.Last Supper (fresco by Leonardo da Vinci)
The shared dishEstablished fact
Judas reaches towards the same dish as Jesus, recalling the words “the one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me” (Matthew 26:23).Last Supper (fresco by Leonardo da Vinci)
The window behind JesusInterpretation
The light of the central window frames Jesus's head in place of a painted halo.Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano: visitor brochure (English)
Peter's knifeInterpretation
Often linked to Peter cutting off the servant's ear later that night (John 18:10).The Last Supper: symbolism
Overturned salt cellarInterpretation
Spilled salt was associated with misfortune; many writers read it as a sign attached to Judas.The Last Supper: symbolism
Bread and hands as musicTheory
A 2007 hypothesis that the bread and hands form a short melody. Not confirmed by any document.Art Bites: Did Leonardo Hide Music in 'The Last Supper'?

Sources

  1. 1Last Supper (fresco by Leonardo da Vinci). Encyclopaedia Britannica
  2. 2The Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci. Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano, Milan
  3. 3Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano: visitor brochure (English). Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano, Milan, 2024

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