What is luxury? Of course, luxury has much in common with rarity, and although the world's best mechanical watches can be made in editions limited to thousands, hundreds of thirty pieces, the work of art is absolutely unique and therefore gains value in the eyes of collectors. Damien Hirst's diamond skull, titled “For the Love of God,” cost £ 14 million to make and was put up for sale at £ 50 million, but even more remarkable in terms of accepted value was the Codex Leicester, or Codex Hammer, thirty-three drawings Leonardo da Vinci, which were bought by Bill Gates in 1994 for $ 30 million.
So, if luxury has something in common with rarity, then the original DaVinci Last Supper allows everyone to experience exceptional luxury in art, because this work is absolutely unique and will never be moved to another museum for a temporary exhibition. It is inextricably linked with the walls of the room in which it was painted, the refectory of the Dominican monastery in the center of Milan. Santa Maria delle Grazie.
It is well known that this Evening Renaissance is in poor condition, but now it is in better condition than it was almost five hundred years. Leonardo wrote it from 1494 to 1498, and his finished work sent shock waves through the Italian Renaissance and the art world of the time. But a few decades after it was completed, it began to deteriorate. Often people think that this was caused by an experimental technique invented by an artist that went wrong, but in fact it was not.
In the German city of Erfurt, the Catholic cathedral has a large fresco depicting Saint Christopher, in excellent condition, written down as written “huile sur le mur”, ready to be huile et plà © de couche de blanc de plomb ". This corresponds to the preparation of the wall, on which the Last Supper was painted, a very thin plaster mixed with an oily substance, possibly wax, and then covered with a layer of white lead. Thus, the technique was not Leonardo's invention, but the method that was described earlier, in particular, Cennino Cennini in 14 century. In fact, according to Zennin and, the traditional painting technique of frescoes, using pigments directly on wet plaster, was the safest, but had the disadvantage of limiting the range of colors that could be used. Cennini actually recommended using pittura secco, rarely tinting on dry plaster, for the final touches in Leonardo, obviously, heard about the methods used in Northern Europe, and decided to use oil technique for his fresco. It was also important for his desire to work slowly in painting, giving him enough time to develop a graduating hue or light and shade, which was necessary in his style.
Unfortunately, the wall was subject to increased humidity, and the situation deteriorated due to the fact that on the other side of the wall were the kitchens where the dishes of the monks were prepared in the refectory. For several years after the completion of the work, the moisture in the wall pushed the oily soil, and it began to crack, fragmenting the painted surface. In many areas, individual pieces of plaster between cracks acquired a concave shape, for example, a series of small shells, inside of which dirt accumulated. During countless restoration operations that have been performed over the centuries, the painting was cleaned with spatulas and metal brushes to force the plaster back into shape, but it only damaged the edges of individual concave shavings, revealing the white surface of the lead. Layers of resin and glue were painted over it, trying to stabilize the pigment layer. Several times the artists were called to return the work to its original glory by painting over it. By 1969, many scientists believed that nothing was left of Leonardo's original work, but simply accumulated dirt and paint added during successful repainting operations.
Only in 1977, the first cleaning test zones demonstrated that they managed to remove extraterrestrial layers and achieve the original pigment Leonardo. And this is what was done in the operation, which was moved from 1978 to 1999.
Another event in the history of this painting proves that its survival to this day is a miracle. In August 1943, the refectory received a direct strike from a bomb dropped on one of the three air raids planned to hasten the truce of the Kingdom of Italy (signed on September 3). The explosion completely destroyed the roof and one of the long walls of the refectory. The two remaining walls - one with the Secret Vecherina, the other - with the Crucifix of Montorfano - are preserved, and the paintings remained intact, because they were protected by the wall of sandbags from floor to ceiling. It is not surprising, given his raging history, that its conditions are carefully controlled. Visits are limited to 25 people every 15 minutes, so advance booking is necessary.
Before entering the hall, visitors pass through a series of glass-covered rooms, which delicately remove excess moisture and dust using a pressure differential. In other words, you collapsed, but very carefully. There is nothing in the refectory. Nothing but a picture of Leonardo, and Montorfano on the opposite wall. At the moment, there is another analogy with the valuable mechanical watches. You can appreciate its value only if you understand something of its incredible complication. Just as in the eyes of a layman, in particular, there is not so much difference between Piaget and Swatch, the Last Supper risks leaving the visitor with a feeling of “what's this?”. Worse, the lack of information leaves plenty of room for writers — the most famous Dan Brown and the Da Vinci Code, but many others, even the worst authors who wanted their share in this dubious glory, reinterpreted the picture as they pleased. So, according to Dan Brown, the figure depicting the female figure to the left of Christ is not really one of the twelve apostles, but Mary Magdalene. This immediately encourages Brown to be skeptical of himself, to ask where did the twelfth disk come from? Are you buying pizza or just late for dinner?
The truth is that the picture is a true grand complication. At different levels of complexity there is so much sense that any of the modern interpretations turns pale in comparison. The Last Supper question is one that has never been fully answered.
The first level of meaning is the scene itself. Leonardo chose the exact moment in the story of the Gospel of the Last Supper. “In truth, I tell you, one of you will betray me ...” says Jesus, who is shown in the act of speech. This revelation emerges among students who react each in their own way, combining them into four groups of three. Christ has an expression of submissive sadness and at the same time a confident and royal balance. He gestures to wine with his right hand, to bread on the left, establishing the fundamental Christian ritual of the Eucharist. The disciples' movement isolates Jesus, leaving Him alone in the center of the composition. He is the only person with a geometric shape, an almost perfect equivalent triangle. He is also the only person who wears robes in red and blue. This is a tradition that comes from medieval traditions in painting and stained glass.
The most expensive pigments that were made were dark blue and bright red, requiring crushed lapislacium and gold, respectively, and therefore for centuries these pigments were used only for the most important figures in the composition. Leonardo painted the Apostles, making countless drawings, some of which are preserved in his notebooks. One preparatory drawing shows the Apostles, labeled with their names. In fact, each Apostle acquired a peculiar appearance throughout the entire history of art up to this point, so that a person could recognize them in paintings and frescoes. In the same way, saints and martyrs were often depicted with certain objects that left no doubts about their personality, such as the rough clothing made from the skin of the animals of John the Baptist, the keys of St. Peter, St. Catherine and St. Wheel, etc. And so we we know who attended the Last Supper, namely, in the person of the Apostles, - from the facial expressions that Leonardo is their cave. In the far left corner, Bartholomew rises to his feet, incredible. James Minor is imprisoned, trying to get Peter's attention on his shoulder. Andrew has two hands in the air, a gesture that is still used in Italy today, means “it was not me.”
The next group of three is difficult. Judas is a dark figure moving away from his position close to Jesus and above the table, so his head is actually the next, fourth, in sequence. He squeezes a bag of money in his right hand, and his left is going to take a piece of bread. In fact, Jesus will soon reveal to John that the traitor will be the one who will dip his bread in the same cup as He. Jude is distanced from the other Apostles with his dark, shadowed complexion and seemingly broken nose. Behind him there is a knife, which is owned by a mysterious hand - about this in another article.
Peter, following in sequence, moves in the opposite direction to Judas, so although he is sitting next to Andrew — they were brothers, his head is very close to John the Evangelist. This is because in the Gospel narrative, Peter asks John to ask Jesus who will be the traitor. John was the youngest Apostle, so he was traditionally shown without a beard.
Then, to the right of Jesus, Thomas appears, pointing. This gesture was familiar to the monks in the Renaissance: since the food in the refectory was to be accepted in silence to indicate God, there was an ordinary sign that the thumb and index finger were extended, the rest were closed. James Mayor next, in a green robe. With both hands, Philip pointed to his heart, saying in agonizing doubt: “Am I really?” Matthew, the only educated person among the Apostles, discusses this question, stretching his hands to Jesus when he himself deeply talks with two other apostles in the right group. , Thaddeus and finally Simon.
Leonardo thought of many small revolutions with this picture that may seem insignificant in our scientific and relatively unspiritual age, but at that time were important. First, he completely broke the tradition regarding the position of Judas. The artists, before Leonardo became convinced that Judas was very different from the rest of the Apostles, often placing him alone, on our side of the table or making him the only one without a halo. Leonardo puts it along with the rest, one of the twelve, part of the overall sequence, and none of his figures have a halo. Secondly, this is probably the first picture in which the artist tried to depict the diversity of human psychology. Each Apostle responds in its own unique way, and Leonardo portrays it using all possible methods, facial expression, physical position and, above all, hand gestures. Thirdly, the question of perspective. Leonardo was a master at this fundamental Renaissance renaissance, and in this picture he both broke the rules and used it to add additional value to the work. He broke the rules, because when you are standing in the refectory, the prospect looks wrong. The top edge of the tapestry is to follow straight from the ceiling in the real room, but they do not.
This is because Leonardo wanted to paint a fresco at an elevated level, so that all the monks in the room could see it, and because the Gospel describes the Last Supper as it took place in a room on the upper floor. If he had used the perspective correctly, we would not have seen anything that was on the table, and the table itself would obscure most of the figures. Therefore, he painted the scene in terms of perspective, which would be correct if the observer were at a height of about twelve feet. Perspective lines, tapestries and ceiling beams converge at the vanishing point, which is just above Jesus. right eye. On his temple. "Tempio" in Italian. The word has the same double meaning in both languages, and this eloquently indicates that Christ is the creator of the new faith, the new church.
Leonardo made his revolution one more step. (I have to warn you that I am expressing my own ideas from here. The parallel between the twelve Apostles and the twelve signs of the zodiac was noted before Leonardo, but no one ever expressed it in pictures, partly because the Church did not approve of astrology being infected with the doctrine, therefore Leonardo introduced some minority keys. Andrei, third from left, two arms in the air, Gemini, twins, double sign. Jude, the fourth in the sequence, symbolizes a word that has had three meanings from ancient Greek times: karkino, crab, and the zodiac constellation. Cancer. Then Peter, a fiery character, a great hair mane: Leo. And then, sixth in sequence, a pale, delicate, feminine face: Virgo, of course! On the other hand, Thomas, doubting Thomas, raised his fingers ( as on divinity in heaven), the fact that later he will say that he will not believe until he has placed his finger in the wounds in the hands of Christ, in the position of Libra, a sign of the zodiac, marked by persistent doubts. cup shaped hand. Aquarius, water carrier.
It is true, not all figures have such clear astrological attributes, but I think that it is enough to confirm the theory. But one might ask, why did Leonardo want to risk again getting into the church for his unorthodox approach to the subject? In principle, Leonardo did not want to draw only a moment of time, an important one, although this moment was. He also wanted to incorporate an ideology consistent with the Neoplaton philosophy developed by Marsilio Ficino and his Florentine academy. His room becomes the masculine universe, with Christ in the center, and numerological symbolism is used to designate the elements, the divine creation, the zodiac and the planets.
Another revolution: Leonardo saves Judas. I mentioned the knife that stands behind him, another traditional element in the Last Supper, which shows a person’s hostility towards a traitor and supposing that Judas will die soon. Although at first glance, Peter seems to be holding a knife, the impossible anatomical position of this hand shows that in fact the hand that seized the knife does not belong to anyone and that Peter is holding her back from his murderous act. Leonardo seems to be saying, putting Judas along with the rest of the Apostles, that in all of us there is an element of evil, and we must accept it just as we accept death and suffering. We cannot rid evil of the human race by committing a sinner. Hands of Cain, for many centuries to come.
It is, therefore, one interpretation of this unusual painting. Within two hours, to write this article, Leonardo spent four years in the picture, and more, I need to tell a lot more ...
