The Subtlety of The Last Supper
When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; and while they were eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ And they became greatly distressed.... - Matthew 26: 20-22
[Since “The Last Supper” is in the news this week, although for bizarre reasons, I thought I’d take a break from what I’m doing and jump back behind the keyboard and offer this divertimento about the multiple messages behind Leonardo DaVinci’s masterwork.]
Leonardo DaVinci was never simple and ever subtle in his art. There are always layers to what he presents. “The Last Supper” is no different. A full-wall mural, it is found in a monastic refectory in Milan that barely survived World War II. Even before the 20th century, the monks were so casual about the mural that at some point they busted a door through the feet of Jesus.
Unlike most renderings of this Gospel moment, Leonardo’s “Last Supper” is not a depiction of the creation of the sacrament of bread and wine, but rather the revelation that one of those present will betray him. Hence, the tableau that appears is the immediate reaction of the apostles to that announcement.
First, in terms of symbolism, please note how Jesus’ posture forms a triangle, representative of the three points of the Holy Trinity, as he reaches for the bread and wine of the Eucharist.
Peter holds a knife, foreshadowing his attempt to save Jesus by slashing the ear of high priest’s slave during the arrest.
Saint Thomas’ finger is raised in the air, foreshadowing his later demand to touch the wounds of Jesus himself.
Judas is in shadow clutching the bagged silver coins he was paid to betray Christ. It appears he has also upset a salt container, the traditional symbol of a broken agreement.
Un-bearded because of his youth, John sits at Jesus’ right hand.
For me, this is the most interesting element: DaVinci does not paint Jesus the Christ with a halo, even though that was artistic custom in his day. Instead, he emphasizes the earthy reality of the tableau by framing Jesus with a natural halo emanating from the window behind him.
Consider it from the full perspective once again:
Linear perspective presents Jesus at the center, with his expression calm and distinct from those of the apostles. His serenity and acceptance are certainly on display.
One note of controversy is in the arrangement of the figures. The apostles are grouped into sets of three, with Jesus singularly in the center. There has been a lot of discussion as to the meaning of it, but without clear resolution.
The reigning theory [that is, guess] is that it evokes these verses from Lamentations 3:31–33:
31 For the Lord will not reject for ever. 32 Although he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; 33 for he does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone.
That’s as good a guess as any. It would be consistent with DaVinci’s hinted theology that serenity in the midst of chaos, which is what is being depicted in “The Last Supper”, is bolstered by the eternal promise of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Anyway, there is much to discover in this work of art, especially as it still seems to generate attempts to “modernize” its teaching, and even if done by the clumsy hands of pseudo-progressive French dullards accessorized by some corpulent, blue-painted clown.
I would like to thank my wife, Jenni, for her contribution to this posting, as it was borne of a conversation we were having about the mural and its interesting history. It’s rather handy to be married to an art historian, I’ve discovered. It’s even worth the triple-hernia caused by lugging some very large art history books with us as we move from rectory to rectory to rectory to Pleasant Shoreline Bungalow™.
Very interesting read! I do love art history and have thoroughly enjoyed going to art museums with Sean over the years. He can stand in front of a painting he'd never seen before and tell me so many things about it. Just fascinating!