For the sake of the opportunity to look at it, millions of tourists are striving to Milan, regardless of the season.
The original fresco is located in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (Santa Maria delle Grazie) on the eponymous square in Milan. The church was built during the Renaissance. It was commissioned to architect J. Solari by Dominican monks. The Last Supper fresco was commissioned by the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Maria Sforzo, at whose court Leonardo da Vinci won fame as a skilled painter. The artist completed the received order in the refectory of the monastery in 1495-1497.
Damage and restorations
During its more than half a thousand years of existence, the fresco was repeatedly damaged. And by the Dominican monks themselves, who cut off the lower part of the image along with the legs of Jesus and the nearest apostles. And the troops of Napoleon, who turned the church into a stable and threw stones at the heads of the apostles. And the Allied bombs that exploded on the roof during the Second World War. After the damage, well-intentioned restorers tried to repair the damage, but the result was not very good.
Already at the end of the 20th century, a lengthy restoration removed all previous unsuccessful restoration attempts and repaired the damage caused to the fresco. But despite this, today's "Last Supper" is only a shadow of the masterpiece created by the great painter.
Description
Until now, many art historians believe « The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci is the greatest work of world art. Even in the era of da Vinci, the fresco was considered his best work. Its approximate dimensions are 880 by 460 cm. It was made on dry plaster using a thick layer of egg tempera. Due to the use of such a fragile material, the fresco began to collapse already somewhere in 20 years after its creation.
The painting depicts the moment when Jesus Christ informs his disciples at dinner that one of them, Judas, sitting second to the right hand of Christ, will betray him. In the picture, Judas is reaching out with his left hand to the same dish as Jesus, and in his right hand he is clutching a bag of silver. To obtain lifelikeness and accuracy, Leonardo for a long time observed the postures and facial expressions of his contemporaries in various situations. Most researchers of the work of Leonardo da Vinci have come to the conclusion that the ideal place to contemplate the painting is a distance of 9 meters from it at a height of 3.5 meters from the floor level.
The uniqueness of The Last Supper lies in the amazing diversity and richness of the emotions of the characters depicted. No other painting on the theme of the Last Supper even comes close to the uniqueness of the composition and fine detail of Leonardo's masterpiece. Three or four days could pass, during which the master did not touch the future work of art.
And when he returned, he stood idle for hours before the sketch, examining it and criticizing his work.
Thanks to this, each character is not only a beautiful portrait, but also a clear type. Every detail is thought out and repeatedly weighed.
The most difficult thing for Leonardo when painting was to find models for writing Good, embodied in the image of Christ, and Evil, embodied in the image of Judas. There is even a legend about how the ideal models for these images were found in the great picture. Once the painter got to the performance of the church choir. And there, in the face of one of the young choir singers, he saw a beautiful image of Jesus. He invited the boy to his studio and made several sketches. Three years later, the main work on The Last Supper was almost completed, and Leonardo had not found a suitable model for Judas. And the customer was in a hurry, demanding the speedy completion of the work. And so, having undertaken many days of searching, the artist saw a ragamuffin lying in a gutter. It was a young man, but he was drunk, ragged, and looked very decrepit. Deciding not to waste time sketching, da Vinci asked to bring this man directly to the cathedral. The limp body was dragged to the temple, and the master painted from him sinfulness, looking from his face.
When the work was finished, the tramp came to his senses and cried out in fright when he saw the picture. It turned out that he had already seen her, three years ago. Then he was young and full of dreams, and some artist invited him to pose for the image of Christ. Later everything changed, he lost himself and sank in life.
Maybe this legend tells us that good and evil are two sides of the same coin. And in life it all depends on at what point they meet on our way.
Tickets, opening hours
Church visitors wishing to see the "Last Supper" can only get inside for inspection in groups of up to 25 people. Before entering, everyone, without fail, must undergo a procedure for removing contaminants from clothing using special devices.
But, despite this, the queue of those wishing to see the fresco with their own eyes never dries up. During the high season from April to November, tickets must be booked at least 4 months in advance.
Moreover, the reservation must be paid immediately. That is, you can not pay later ordered in advance. In winter, when the flow of tourists decreases slightly, you can order tickets 1-2 months before visiting.
It is most profitable to buy tickets on the official website of the Italian Ministry of Culture www.vivaticket.it, which is available in Italian and English, but in fact there are never any tickets. As of 2019, an adult ticket costs €12 + €3.5 tax.
How to buy tickets at the last moment
How to see the famous fresco?
Having shoveled the entire Internet and analyzed dozens of intermediary sites, I can only recommend one reliable site for buying tickets online "last minute" is www.getyourguide.ru
We go to the Milan section and choose tickets costing from 44 euros with an English-speaking tour - such tickets are on sale in about a week or two.
If you need to see the Last Supper urgently, then choose the option for 68 euros with a tour of Milan.
For example, on August 18 in the evening I managed to book tickets for August 21, while on the official website the nearest free window is not earlier than December. The cost of 2 tickets with a group tour of Milan turned out to be 136 euros.
Opening hours of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie: from 8:15 to 19:00 with a break from 12:00 to 15:00. On pre-holiday and holidays, the church is open from 11-30 to 18-30. Weekends - January 1, May 1, December 25.
How to get there
How to get to Santa Maria delle Grazie:
- Take tram 18 towards Magenta, stop Santa Maria delle Grazie
- By metro line M2, stop Conciliazione or Cadorna
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The Last Supper. For many historians and art historians, Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper is the greatest work of world art. In The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown focuses readers' attention on some of the symbolic elements of the painting when Sophie Neveu, while at Lee Teabing's house, learns that Leonardo may have encoded some great secret in his masterpiece. The Last Supper is a fresco painted on the wall of the refectory of the monastery of Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan. Even in the era of Leonardo himself, she was considered his best and most famous work. The fresco was created between 1495 and 1497, but already during the first twenty years of its existence, as is clear from the written evidence of those years, it began to deteriorate. Its dimensions are approximately 15 by 29 feet.
The fresco was painted with a thick layer of egg tempera on dry plaster. Beneath the main coat of paint is a rough compositional sketch, a study, inscribed in red in a manner predating the usual use of cardboard. It's kind of a preparatory tool. It is known that the customer of the painting was the Duke of Milan Lodovico Sforza, at whose court Leonardo gained fame as a great painter, and not at all the monks of the monastery of Santa Maria della Grazie. The theme of the picture is the moment when Jesus Christ announces to his disciples that one of them will betray him. Pacioli writes about this in the third chapter of his book Divine Proportion. It was this moment - when Christ announces the betrayal - that Leonardo da Vinci captured. To achieve accuracy and lifelikeness, he studied the postures and facial expressions of many of his contemporaries, whom he later depicted in the picture. The identity of the apostles has repeatedly been the subject of controversy, however, judging by the inscriptions on the copy of the painting stored in Lugano, these are (from left to right): Bartholomew, James the Younger, Andrew, Judas, Peter, John, Thomas, James the Elder, Philip, Matthew, Thaddeus and Simon the Zealot. Many art historians believe that this composition should be taken as an iconographic interpretation of the Eucharist - communion, since Jesus Christ points with both hands at the table with wine and bread. Almost all scholars of Leonardo's work agree that the ideal place to look at the painting is from a height of about 13-15 feet above the floor and at a distance of 26-33 feet from it. There is an opinion - now disputed - that the composition and the system of its perspective are based on the musical canon of proportion. The unique character of The Last Supper is given by the fact that, unlike other paintings of this kind, it shows the amazing variety and richness of the emotions of the characters caused by the words of Jesus that one of the disciples will betray him. No other painting based on the Last Supper can even come close to the unique composition and attention to detail in Leonardo's masterpiece. So what secrets could the great artist encrypt in his creation? In The Discovery of the Templars, Clive Prince and Lynn Picknett argue that several elements of The Last Supper's structure are indicative of the symbols encoded within it. First, they believe that the figure on the right hand of Jesus (for the viewer, she is on the left) is not John, but a certain woman.
She is wearing a robe, the color of which contrasts with the clothes of Christ, she is tilted in the opposite direction from Jesus, who is sitting in the center. The space between this female figure and Jesus is V-shaped, and the figures themselves form the letter M.
Secondly, in the picture, in their opinion, a certain hand is visible next to Peter, squeezing a knife. Prince and Picknett argue that this hand does not belong to any of the characters in the picture.
Thirdly, sitting directly to the left of Jesus (on the right - for the audience), Thomas, turning to Christ, raised his finger.
And finally, there is a hypothesis that the Apostle Thaddeus, sitting with his back to Christ, is actually a self-portrait of Leonardo himself.
Let's analyze each of the points in order. Upon closer examination of the picture, it turns out that the character to the right of Jesus (for the viewer - to the left) really differs in female or feminine features. Prince and Picknett assure readers that women's breasts are even visible under the folds of clothing. Of course, Leonardo sometimes liked to give feminine features to male figures and faces. For example, a close examination of the image of John the Baptist shows that he is endowed with almost the features of a hermaphrodite with pale, hairless skin.
But what of the fact that in the painting "The Last Supper" Jesus and John (the woman) deviated in opposite directions, forming a space between them in the form of the letter V, and the contours of their bodies form the letter M? Does it carry some symbolic meaning? Prince and Picknett argue that such an unusual placement of figures, one of which has distinct feminine features, contains a hint that this is not John, but Mary Magdalene, and the V sign is a symbol of the sacred feminine. The letter M, according to their hypothesis, means the name - Mary / Magdalene. You can agree or disagree with this assumption, but no one will deny its originality and courage. Let's focus on the disembodied hand. Whose hand is visible on the left, next to the figure of Peter? Why is she so threateningly clutching a dagger or knife? Another oddity is that Peter's left hand, with the edge of his palm, seems to cut the throat of the neighboring figure.
What did Leonardo mean by this? What does such a strange gesture of Peter mean? However, upon closer examination, it is clear that the hand with the knife still belongs to Peter, and does not exist on its own. Peter twisted his left arm, and therefore its position is clearly unusual and extremely awkward. As for the second hand, threateningly raised to the throat of John / Mary, there is an explanation for this: Peter de simply puts his hand on his / her shoulder. It is likely that this debate will continue for a very long time. As for Thomas, sitting to the left of Jesus (on the right - for the viewer), he really raised up the index finger of his left hand in a clearly threatening manner. This gesture of John the Baptist, as Prince and Picknett call it, is present in many paintings by Leonardo, as well as other painters of that era. It allegedly symbolizes the underground flow of knowledge and wisdom. The fact is that John the Baptist actually played a much more important role than the one assigned to him in Scripture. For those who wish to know more about this, I advise you to read the book The Discovery of the Templars. The apostle Thaddeus depicted in the picture seems to have some resemblance to Leonardo, if we compare his image with the famous self-portrait of the great artist. In many paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, dedicated to Jesus or the Holy Family, the same detail is noticeable: at least one of the figures is turned back to the main character of the painting. For example, in the painting "The Adoration of the Magi". The recently completed restoration of The Last Supper has made it possible to learn a lot about this amazing painting. In it, and in many other canvases by Leonardo, some secret messages and forgotten symbols are actually hidden. However, their true meaning is still not completely clear to us, which gives rise to more and more guesses and assumptions. Be that as it may, much remains to be done in the future to unravel these mysteries. I would like us to be able to comprehend the ideas of the great master at least to the smallest extent.
For two millennia, Orthodox Christians have been taking communion every Sunday and on the days of great church holidays. They do this to a prayer composed by John Chrysostom mentioning an event called the Last Supper. With what it was connected - we will understand in this article.
The Last Supper - what is this event?
At this meeting, Jesus gathered all of his people for the last time to celebrate the Old Testament Jewish Passover together. She symbolized the deliverance of the Jewish people from the Egyptian yoke. In addition, another task lay on such an event as the Last Supper - Jesus and Judas understood everything about each other. The first predicted the betrayal of the second, and Judas became the only one who understood the origin of the teacher and to whom the son of God revealed all the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Why is the supper called a mystery?
Because Jesus Christ on his last evening established the sacrament of Holy Communion. The Last Supper is an event that is commemorated by Christians in. Then it was customary to bake unleavened bread on that day and to chop the lamb. There was no meat of the latter on the tables of the apostles and the son of God, because he himself went to the slaughter, ascending to the Cross for the sins of all the followers of Adam. Taking a piece of bread and a glass of wine in his hands, he said: "Do this in remembrance of Me." The cup of wine represents the blood of Christ shed for people, and the bread represents his flesh. That is, the Lord performed the Passover Seder.
Where did the Last Supper take place?
To search for a suitable place, Christ sent two disciples to Jerusalem. He predicted to them that on the way they would meet a traveler with a jug of water, who would turn out to be the owner of the desired house. For those who are interested in where the Last Supper was, it is worth answering that after the apostles announced the will of the teacher to the host, he provided them with an upper room where they could prepare everything for Easter.
The Last Supper - a parable
There is a parable about the creation of a canvas of the same name, authored by Leonardo da Vinci. He painted all the heroes of his picture from nature, selecting suitable models. He wrote the image of Christ from a young singing choir, but for the role of Judas for a long time he could not find anyone. And after a long search in the gutter, a young, but prematurely aged man was found with the seal of all the vices on his face.
When he saw himself in the picture, he said that three years ago he had already acted as a model, but then the artist painted Christ from him. The meaning of the parable The Last Supper is to live according to the command of God, remembering the deed of Jesus and hoping for salvation in the kingdom of God. Faith can make us holy, give us eternal life, and unbelief can turn us into a pitiful likeness of a person who is unable to resist sin, the power of the Devil.
The Last Supper in the Bible
At the meeting with the apostles, Jesus established the sacrament of the Eucharist. It consists in the consecration of bread and wine, which are subsequently eaten. For those who ask what the Last Supper means, it is worth saying that at the last meal, the son of God taught his disciples the Most Pure Body and Blood, giving himself as a sign of the subsequent resurrection and eternal life. Christ already knows about betrayal and speaks about it directly. At the same time, according to one version, he points to Judas, holding out a piece of bread to him, dipping it in a vessel of wine.
According to another version, at the Last Supper, he, along with Judas, pulls his hand to the goblet, which is direct evidence of his betrayal. He is saddened by the upcoming separation from his students and teaches them a lesson in eternal humility and love, washing everyone's feet in turn and wiping them with his own belt. The first to be washed was the Apostle Peter, and the Last Supper became a revelation to him. He says, "Will you wash my feet?" but Jesus replies, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me." The Lord did not disdain the duties of a slave in the name of love and unity.
The Last Supper - Prayer
Not only on Maundy Thursday, but throughout the year before communion at the liturgy, the priest reads a special prayer, constantly remembering what happened at such an event as the Last Supper, the Orthodox Church even restored the rite of washing the feet, carried out by the bishop after the liturgy. And although Maundy Thursday falls on Holy Week, it is considered a holiday, starting to celebrate it on Wednesday evening. At the same time, the canon “The cut is cut” is read, performing the irmos of the 9th song, and the prayer “Your Secret Supper” is sung at the liturgy.
In it, the prayer asks the Lord to accept him and make him a participant in such an event as the Last Supper. He promises not to betray secrets to enemies, not to give such a kiss as Judas gave, and asks to remember him in the Kingdom of God. This is how Jesus Christ died for faith and people, the Last Supper marks this event, and together with the communion of the apostles, the entire Christian people do this, uniting their souls with God and partaking of his Divine love.
The very name of the famous work by Leonardo da Vinci "The Last Supper" carries a sacred meaning. Indeed, many of Leonardo's paintings are covered with an aura of mystery. In The Last Supper, as in many other works of the artist, there is a lot of symbolism and hidden messages.
Recently, the restoration of the legendary creation was completed. Thanks to this, it was possible to learn a lot of interesting facts related to the history of the painting. Its meaning is still not entirely clear. More and more conjectures are being born about the hidden message of The Last Supper.
Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most mysterious figures in the history of fine arts. Some practically classify the artist as a saint and write laudatory odes to him, while others, on the contrary, consider him a blasphemer who sold his soul to the devil. But at the same time, no one doubts the genius of the great Italian.
History of the painting
It is hard to believe, but the monumental painting "The Last Supper" was made in 1495 by order of the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza. Despite the fact that the ruler was famous for his dissolute disposition, he had a very modest and pious wife, Beatrice, whom, it is worth noting, he respected and revered very much.
But, unfortunately, the true strength of his love manifested itself only when his wife died suddenly. The duke's grief was so great that he did not leave his own chambers for 15 days, and when he left, the first thing he ordered was Leonardo da Vinci's fresco, which his late wife had once asked for, and forever put an end to his rampant lifestyle.
The artist completed his unique creation in 1498. The dimensions of the painting were 880 by 460 centimeters. Best of all, the Last Supper can be seen if you move 9 meters to the side and rise 3.5 meters up. Creating a picture, Leonardo used egg tempera, which subsequently played a cruel joke on the fresco. The canvas began to collapse in just 20 years after creation.
The famous fresco is located on one of the walls of the refectory in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. According to art historians, the artist specifically depicted in the picture exactly the same table and dishes that were used at that time in the church. With this simple technique, he tried to show that Jesus and Judas (Good and Evil) are much closer than we think.
Interesting Facts
1. The identity of the apostles depicted on the canvas has repeatedly become the subject of controversy. Judging by the inscriptions on the reproduction of the painting, stored in Lugano, these are (from left to right) Bartholomew, Jacob the Younger, Andrew, Judas, Peter, John, Thomas, James the Elder, Philip, Matthew, Thaddeus and Simon the Zealot.
2. Many historians believe that the Eucharist (communion) is depicted on the mural, since Jesus Christ points with both hands to the table with wine and bread. True, there is an alternative version. It will be discussed below...
3. Many still know the story from the school year that the images of Jesus and Judas were the most difficult for Da Vinci. Initially, the artist planned to make them the embodiment of good and evil and for a long time could not find people who would serve as models for creating his masterpiece.
Once an Italian, during a service in a church, saw a young man in the choir, so inspired and pure that there was no doubt: here it is - the incarnation of Jesus for his "Last Supper".
The last character, the prototype of which the artist still could not find, was Judas. Da Vinci spent hours wandering through the narrow Italian streets in search of a suitable model. And now, after 3 years, the artist found what he was looking for. There was a drunkard lying in the ditch, who had long been on the edge of society. The artist ordered the drunkard to be brought to his studio. The man practically did not stay on his feet and had little idea where he was at all.
After the image of Judas was completed, the drunkard approached the painting and confessed that he had seen it somewhere before. To the bewilderment of the author, the man replied that three years ago he was a completely different person - he sang in the church choir and led a righteous life. It was then that an artist approached him with an offer to paint Christ from him.
So, according to historians, the same person posed for the images of Jesus and Judas at different periods of his life. This fact serves as a metaphor, showing that good and evil go hand in hand and there is a very thin line between them.
4. The most controversial is the opinion that sitting at the right hand of Jesus Christ is not a man at all, but none other than Mary Magdalene. Her location indicates that she was the lawful wife of Jesus. From the silhouettes of Mary Magdalene and Jesus, the letter M is formed. Allegedly, it means the word matrimonio, which translates as “marriage”.
5. According to some scientists, the unusual arrangement of the disciples on the canvas is not accidental. Say, Leonardo da Vinci placed people according to the signs of the zodiac. According to this legend, Jesus was a Capricorn and his beloved Mary Magdalene was a Virgin.
6. It is impossible not to mention the fact that during the Second World War, as a result of a shell hitting the church building, almost everything was destroyed, except for the wall on which the fresco is depicted.
And before that, in 1566, local monks made a door in the wall depicting the Last Supper, which “cut off” the legs of the fresco characters. A little later, a Milan coat of arms was hung over the head of the Savior. And at the end of the 17th century, a stable was made from the refectory.
7. No less interesting are the reflections of people of art on the food depicted on the table. For example, near Judas, Leonardo painted an overturned salt shaker (which at all times was considered a bad omen), as well as an empty plate.
8. There is an assumption that the apostle Thaddeus, sitting with his back to Christ, is actually a self-portrait of da Vinci himself. And, given the nature of the artist and his atheistic views, this hypothesis is more than likely.
I think that even if you do not consider yourself a connoisseur of high art, you are still interested in this information. If so, please share the article with your friends.
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The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. Mary Magdalene or the Apostle John?
Truly, there is no secret in the world that someday would not become obvious, for manuscripts do not burn. And we continue to debunk one of the most shameless historical myths about the name defamed by the Christian Church Mary Magdalene. Recently, the coverage of this topic has become of fundamental importance for us, because Rigden Dzhappo himself speaks of her and her “great feat” with great respect, in which we will definitely come later, as evidenced by the book Sensei 4. Primordial Shambhala"materials describing the completely unknown history of this mysterious and beautiful woman. Very soon, in the section "Indigenous Knowledge", we will lay out the detailed content of this priceless, in our opinion, literary work.
