A Picture Without parallel

This is the strange history of one of the largest and most beautiful paintings in the world. Believe it or not, a door was cut through it, bullets fired through it, and stones thrown. It was over painted several times and a bomb nearly destroyed it! Through ravaged by time, its exquisite life-likeness survives to this day.

Of course, it is none other than the ‘Last Supper’ by Leonardo da vinci, possibly the greatest genius the world has ever known, and the one of the best artist ever.
The 15x29 ft picture was painted on the refectory of a Dominican monastery in Milan, Known as the covenant of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Leonardo started the painting in 1495 under a contract, and completed it in 1498 – a very long time for painting. This was because of the peculiar way in which he painted. We have an eye-witness account. It is reported that Leonardo would paint for about four days without a break and without food and water. Then he would stop and study his work critically for many days, sometimes adding a single stroke to one of his figures! Then he would leave, and not be back for many days.

On returning he would again throw himself into his work, stop after a few days, hardly adding three stroke! The Dominican friars were at their wit’s end. Many people came to watch this unique artist at work, and stayed spellbound. The floor was mess of paint and stuff. Finally, the friar in charge lost his patience, and when Leonardo appeared after one of his numerous absence, asked him how long he planned to take. Leonardo then told him that he was looking for the right face to model Judas. This, he told the monk, was not an easy thing; but if he failed to find such a model, he would use the face of the man who was troubling him so much, as it perfectly suited the requirement for the face of Judas.

It is true that Leonardo studied the faces of people, dogging their footsteps until he had made the necessary sketches on which he based his painting. (These sketches – thousand of them – have been preserved, along with his notes and scientific diagram.) The depth in his painting of the Last Supper gives the impression that the room, in which Christ and his disciples were dining, was part of the large hall.

People who ate there felt they were in the ‘Upper Room’ with the disciples and their master! 1652 was the year the painting was considered completely spoilt, and a door was enlarge, cutting away a portion where Christ’s feet were. In 1726, six efforts were made to restore the painting which was flaking. They did much harm, making it dark and dull. In 1768, a curtain was hung to protect it. But this rubbed off some more flakes of paint and caused humidity to further ruin it.

In 1770 an artist was engaged to remove the over paintings. A lot more of the original was also lost. In 1796 Napoleon’s troops using the hall as an armory, shot at the figure in the painting, threw stones at them and even climbed up ladder to scratch out their eyes! Can you imagine that? And in 1943, a second world war bomb destroyed the building, but miraculously left the painting alone! (Recently a Dominican remarked that the bomb seemed to have more sense than man!)

Now with modern technology, a scientific restoration (starting in 1970) has taken place, chiefly, with the patient and skilled efforts of Dr Brambilla, she has restored the painting inch by inch with precision instrument over many years. The painting of Leonardo has been revealed, after the dust and grime and over paintings of five centuries has been removed.

Though, sadly, much of the original pigment has been lost, the rich warm colors was used by the artist can now be seen, with exquisite details that have brought out the character of each disciple. The whole concept of the picture has been revealed in all its depth and passion. Through we may never know how exactly the artist visualized the features of Jesus, for example – thanks to ravaged of time – we may stiil feel the powerful emotional impact of that precise moment in a time.

It is the moment that the artist has shown, when Jesus declared that one of the disciples sharing this meal with him would betray him. To this unexpected and shocking statement, the disciples are seen reacting, “Is it I, Lord? Is it I?” They ask, while Peter asks John (seated at the right side of the Jesus) “ Who is it of whom he speak?” John is seen in a listening attitude.

Judas is the one leaning, with elbow on the table, guilt written on his shadowed face. We see Jesus in the middle, a lonely figure. Some say this was a sign of Leonardo’s loneliness. He had no equal with whom he could share his thought, because his ideas were centuries ahead of his time!

Of late, there has been a controversy about the painting. Da Brown in his novel Da Vinci Code has crated doubts about the painter, Leonardo da Vinci as well as his chief subject, the central figure of the Last Supper, Jesus Christ. But truth, as you may have noticed, has a habit of winning.

Today, if you went to Milan and saw this painting, some thing of the passion with which Leonardo da Vinci painted will communicate it self to you. You will also feel uplifted in mind and spirit as thousand have done before.

Friday, June 23, 2006
Manorama Rathnakar
Deccan & Herald
Bangalore - India