The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most iconic paintings ever created. There
is no debating that. In this single work, da Vinci combined all of his masterful technique and skill.
There is so much to unpack here so today we are going to explain the genius of the classic fresco
and whether it really depicts Mary Magdalene, as Dan Brown wrote in the Da Vinci Code.
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Examining The Last Supper, you see a plot straight out of the Gospel: the last meal
of Christ and his closest disciples. This was the moment when Christ said: “One of you will
betray me” before falling silent. This leaves the apostles with one question: who is the traitor?
Other artists chose this subject before, but Leonardo da Vinci depicted it in a new way.
He focused not on the words of Christ, but the silence after them, heightening the drama.
Thanks to this, the fresco is full of tension - da Vinci made each of
the apostles react in his own way to Christ's powerful warning of betrayal.
Apostle Simon: Reasonable. He gestures as if offering versions.
Apostle Thomas: Assumes that it is ordained in heaven.
Apostle Peter: Grabs the knife: he does not yet know who the traitor is,
but is ready to defend his teacher.
In a surprise move, da Vinci showed the main villain front-and-center: Judas. Before The
Last Supper, Judas was typically depicted alone on the opposite side of the table. That approach
destroyed all the drama - the traitor was visible to both the viewer and the apostles.
Leonardo planted Judas among the apostles, but kept him incognito. His face is the
only one in the shadow and stands out against the background of Peter and John.
Another key is a purse with pieces of silver, the reason Judas betrayed Christ. Additionally,
the Gospel of Matthew says that Christ and Judas were the first
to break bread. Here we see how they both reach for the plate.
Pay close attention to Saint John, the figure to the left of Christ. Thanks to Dan Brown's
book The Da Vinci Code, many believe that is not John the Evangelist, but Mary Magdalene.
But this is not the case. Saint John is the youngest and most beloved disciple of Christ,
therefore he was usually singled out among the rest of the apostles. For this painting
and many others of the time, women often posed - hence the femininity of his features.
This painting has always been endlessly fascinating,
even though it depicts an image seen before many times. What makes The Last Supper so visually
enticing? Essentially, Leonardo used optical tricks to toy with perspective and catch the eye.
Firstly, he portrayed the scene as if it were in the same space as you. It’s as if the light
falls on the fresco from a real window on the wall. And the bedspreads are painted in
What have you learned about da Vinci’s The Last Supper? What are your thoughts
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