Leonardo da Vinci– the most mysterious and unstudied personality of past years. Some ascribe to him a gift from God and canonize him as a saint, while others, on the contrary, consider him an atheist who sold his soul to the devil. But the genius of the great Italian is undeniable, since everything that the hand of the great painter and engineer ever touched was instantly filled with hidden meaning. Today we will talk about famous work "Last Supper" and the many secrets it hides.
Location and history of creation:
The famous fresco is in the church Santa Maria delle Grazie, located on the square of the same name in Milan. Or rather, on one of the walls of the refectory. According to historians, the artist specifically depicted in the picture exactly the same table and dishes that were in the church at that time. By this he tried to show that Jesus and Judas (good and evil) are much closer to people than they seem.
The painter received an order to paint the work from his patron, the Duke of Milan. Ludovico Sforza in 1495. The ruler was famous for his dissolute life and youth was surrounded by young bacchantes. The situation did not change at all because the Duke had a beautiful and modest wife. Beatrice d'Este, who sincerely loved her husband and, due to her meek disposition, could not contradict his way of life. We must admit that Ludovico Sforza he sincerely revered his wife and was attached to her in his own way. But the dissolute duke felt the true power of love only at the moment of the sudden death of his wife. The man's grief was so great that he did not leave his room for 15 days. And when I came out, the first thing I did was order Leonardo da Vinci fresco, which his late wife had once asked for, and forever stopped all entertainment at court.
The work was completed in 1498. Its dimensions were 880 by 460 cm. Many connoisseurs of the artist’s work agreed that it was best "Last Supper" You can see it if you move 9 meters to the side and rise 3.5 meters up. Moreover, there is something to see. Already during the author's lifetime, the fresco was considered his best work. Although, calling the painting a fresco would be incorrect. The fact is that Leonardo da Vinci I wrote the work not on wet plaster, but on dry plaster, in order to be able to edit it several times. To do this, the artist applied a thick layer of egg tempra to the wall, which subsequently did a disservice, beginning to collapse just 20 years after the painting was painted. But more on that later.
Idea of the piece:
"Last Supper" depicts the last Easter dinner of Jesus Christ with his disciples and apostles, which took place in Jerusalem on the eve of his arrest by the Romans. According to scripture, Jesus said during a meal that one of the apostles would betray him. Leonardo da Vinci I tried to depict the reaction of each of the students to the prophetic phrase of the Teacher. To do this, he walked around the city, talked to ordinary people, made them laugh, upset them, and encouraged them. And at the same time he observed the emotions on their faces. The author's goal was to depict the famous dinner with pure human point vision. That is why he depicted everyone present in a row and did not draw a halo above anyone’s head (as other artists liked to do).
Now we have reached the most interesting part of the article: the secrets and features hidden in the work of the great author.
1. According to historians, the most difficult thing is Leonardo da Vinci given the writing of two characters: Jesus and Judas. The artist tried to make them the embodiment of good and evil, so for a long time he could not find suitable models. One day, an Italian saw a young singer in a church choir - so spiritual and pure that there was no doubt left: here he was - the prototype of Jesus for him. "Last Supper". But, despite the fact that the image of the Teacher was painted, Leonardo da Vinci I corrected it for a long time, considering it insufficiently perfect.
The last unwritten character in the picture was Judas. The artist spent hours wandering through the worst places, looking for a model to paint among the degraded people. And now, almost 3 years later, he got lucky. An absolutely degenerate guy in a state of severe alcoholic intoxication was lying in a ditch. The artist ordered him to be brought to the studio. The man could hardly stand on his feet and had no idea where he was. However, after the image of Judas was painted, the drunkard approached the picture and admitted that he had already seen it before. To the author’s bewilderment, the man replied that three years ago he was completely different, led a correct lifestyle and sang in the church choir. It was then that some artist approached him with a proposal to paint Christ from him. So, according to historians, Jesus and Judas were copied from the same person in different periods his life. This once again emphasizes the fact that good and evil go so close that sometimes the line between them is imperceptible.
By the way, while working Leonardo da Vinci distracted by the abbot of the monastery, who constantly hurried the artist and argued that he should paint a picture for days, and not stand in front of it in thought. One day the painter could not stand it and promised the abbot to write off Judas from him if he did not stop interfering in creative process.
2. The most discussed secret of the fresco is the figure of a student, located on right hand from Christ. It is believed that this is none other than Mary Magdalene and her location indicates the fact that she was not Jesus' mistress, as is commonly believed, but his legal wife. This fact is confirmed by the letter “M”, which is formed by the contours of the couple’s bodies. Supposedly it means the word "Matrimonio", which translated means "marriage". Some historians argue with this statement and insist that the signature is visible in the painting Leonardo da Vinci- letter "V". The first statement is supported by the mention that Mary Magdalene washed Christ’s feet and dried them with her hair. According to tradition, this could only be done legal wife. Moreover, it is believed that the woman was pregnant at the time of her husband’s execution and subsequently gave birth to a daughter, Sarah, who marked the beginning of the Merovingian dynasty.
3. Some scholars argue that the unusual arrangement of the students in the picture is not accidental. They say Leonardo da Vinci placed people by... zodiac signs. According to this legend, Jesus was a Capricorn and his beloved Mary Magdalene was a virgin.
4. It is impossible not to mention the fact that during the bombing during the Second World War, a shell that hit the church building destroyed almost everything except the wall on which the fresco was depicted. Although, the people themselves not only did not take care of the work, but also treated it in a truly barbaric manner. In 1500, a flood in the church caused irreparable damage to the painting. But instead of restoring the masterpiece, the monks in 1566 made a hole in the wall with the image "Last Supper" a door that “cut off” the characters’ legs. A little later, the Milanese coat of arms was hung over the Savior’s head. And at the end of the 17th century, the refectory was turned into a stable. The already dilapidated fresco was covered with manure, and the French competed with each other: who would hit the head of one of the apostles with a brick. However, there were "Last Supper" and fans. The French king Francis I was so impressed by the work that he seriously thought about how to transport it to his home.
5. No less interesting are the thoughts of historians about the food depicted on the table. For example, near Judas Leonardo da Vinci depicted an overturned salt shaker (which at all times was considered a bad omen), as well as an empty plate. But the biggest point of controversy is still the fish in the picture. Contemporaries still cannot agree on what is painted on the fresco - a herring or an eel. Scientists believe that this ambiguity is not accidental. The artist specially encrypted in the painting hidden meaning. The fact is that in Italian “eel” is pronounced “aringa”. We add one more letter, and we get a completely different word - “arringa” (instruction). At the same time, the word "herring" is pronounced in northern Italy as "renga", which means "one who denies religion." For the atheist artist, the second interpretation is closer.
As you can see, in one single picture there are many secrets and understatements hidden, which more than one generation has been struggling to uncover. Many of them will remain unsolved. And contemporaries will only have to speculate about the great Italian in paint, marble, sand, trying to prolong the life of the fresco.
For two millennia, Orthodox Christians have received communion every Sunday and on major church holidays. They do this to the accompaniment of a prayer composed by John Chrysostom mentioning an event called the Last Supper. What it was connected with – we’ll figure it out in this article.
The Last Supper - what is this event?
At this meeting Jesus last time gathered all his people together to celebrate the Old Testament Jewish Passover. It symbolized the deliverance of the Jewish people from the Egyptian yoke. In addition, another task lay in 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 instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion on his last evening. The Last Supper is an event that is commemorated by Christians in... Then it was customary to bake unleavened bread and slaughter a lamb on this day. 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 owner, 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 painting of the same name, authored by Leonardo da Vinci. He painted all the characters in his paintings from life, selecting suitable models. He wrote the image of Christ from a young choir, but for a long time he could not find anyone to play the role of Judas. And so, after a lengthy search, a young but prematurely aged man was found in a gutter with all the blemishes 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 of the Last Supper is to live according to the command of God, remembering the feat of Jesus and hoping for salvation in the kingdom of God. Faith can make us saints, give us eternal life, and turn unbelief into a pitiful semblance of a person who does not have the ability to resist sin and the power of the Devil.
Last Supper in the Bible
At a meeting with the apostles, Jesus established the sacrament of the Eucharist. It consists of the consecration of bread and wine, which are subsequently used as food. 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 his Most Pure Body and Blood, donating 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, handing him a piece of bread, dipped in a vessel of wine.
According to another version, at the Last Supper, at the same time as Judas, he reaches out to the cup, 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 for him. He says: “Should you wash my feet?”, but Jesus answers: “If I do not 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.
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, Orthodox Church she even restored the rite of washing the feet, performed by the bishop after the liturgy. And although Maundy Thursday falls during 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 Irmos 9 songs, and at the liturgy the prayer “Thy Secret Supper” is sung.
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 reveal 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 the faith and people. The Last Supper marks this event, and together with the communion of the apostles, the whole Christian people, connecting your souls with God and joining his Divine love.
For the opportunity to look at it, millions of tourists flock to Milan, regardless of the season.
The original fresco is located in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in the square of the same name in Milan. The church was built during the Renaissance. It was commissioned by the Dominican monks to the architect G. Solari. The Last Supper fresco was commissioned by the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Maria Sforzo, at whose court Leonardo da Vinci gained fame as a skilled painter. The artist completed the commission he received in the refectory of the monastery in 1495-1497.
Damage and restoration
During its more than half a millennium existence, the fresco was damaged several times. And by the Dominican monks themselves, who cut off the lower part of the image along with the feet of Jesus and the closest apostles. And Napoleon's troops, who turned the church into a stable and threw stones at the heads of the apostles. And Allied bombs that exploded on the roof during World War II. After the damage was caused, well-meaning restorers tried to repair the damage, but the results were not very good.
Already at the end of the 20th century, a long restoration removed all previous unsuccessful attempts restoration and corrected the damage caused to the fresco. But despite this, today’s “Last Supper” is just a shadow of the masterpiece created by the great painter.
Description
Until now, many art scientists believe « The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci greatest work world art. Even in Da Vinci's era, the fresco was considered his best work. Its approximate dimensions are 880 by 460 cm. It is made on dry plaster using a thick layer of egg tempera. Due to the use of such fragile material, the fresco began to collapse about 20 years after its creation.
The painting depicts the moment when Jesus Christ tells his disciples at dinner that one of them, Judas, sitting second on the right hand of Christ, will betray him. In the picture, Judas reaches with his left hand to the same dish as Jesus, and in his right hand he clutches a bag of silver. To obtain lifelikeness and accuracy, Leonardo spent a long time observing the poses and facial expressions of his contemporaries in various situations. Most researchers of Leonardo da Vinci's work 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 emotions of the characters depicted. No other painting on the theme of the Last Supper can even come close to matching the uniqueness of the composition and fine detailing 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 for hours in front of the sketch, examining it and criticizing his work.
Thanks to this, each character is not only a wonderful portrait, but also a clear type. Every detail is thought out and weighed repeatedly.
The most difficult thing for Leonardo when painting was to find models for painting 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 on great picture. One day the painter attended a performance by a 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 workshop and completed several sketches. Three years later, the main work on The Last Supper was almost completed, and Leonardo still had not found a suitable model for Judas. And the customer was in a hurry, demanding that the work be completed as soon as possible. And so, having undertaken a multi-day search, 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 on sketches, da Vinci asked to bring this man directly to the cathedral. The weak-willed body was dragged to the temple, and the master painted the sinfulness looking from his face.
When the work was finished, the tramp came to his senses and cried out in fear 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 everything depends on at what moment they meet on our way.
Tickets, opening hours
Visitors to the church wishing to see the Last Supper can only enter the church in groups of up to 25 people. Before entering, everyone must undergo a procedure for removing contaminants from clothing using special devices.
But, despite this, the queue of people who want to see the fresco with their own eyes never dries out. During 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 cannot pay later for what you ordered in advance. In winter, when the flow of tourists subsides slightly, you can book tickets 1-2 months before your visit.
The best way to buy tickets is 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 there. As of 2019, an adult ticket costs 12 euros + 3.5 euros fee.
How to buy last minute tickets
How to see the famous fresco?
Having scoured the entire Internet and analyzed dozens of intermediary sites, I can only recommend one reliable site for buying tickets online "in last moment» – this is www.getyourguide.ru
We go to the Milan section and select tickets costing from 44 euros with an English-language excursion - 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 the evening of August 18, I managed to book tickets for August 21, while on the official website the next available window was not until December. The cost of 2 tickets with a group tour of Milan was 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 holiday days, the church is open from 11-30 to 18-30. Weekends: January 1, May 1, December 25.
How to get there
You can get to Santa Maria delle Grazie:
- By tram 18 in the direction of Magenta, stop Santa Maria delle Grazie
- By metro line M2, stop Conciliazione or Cadorna
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Secrets of Leonardo da Vinci's fresco "The Last Supper"
Leonardo da Vinci- the most mysterious and unstudied personality of past years. Some ascribe to him a gift from God and canonize him as a saint, while others, on the contrary, consider him an atheist who sold his soul to the devil. But the genius of the great Italian is undeniable, since everything that the hand of the great painter and engineer ever touched was instantly filled with hidden meaning. Today we will talk about the famous work "Last Supper" and the many secrets it hides.
~~~~~~~~~~~
last supper
Location and history of creation
The famous fresco is in the church Santa Maria delle Grazie, located on the square of the same name in Milan. Or rather, on one of the walls of the refectory. According to historians, the artist specifically depicted in the picture exactly the same table and dishes that were in the church at that time. By this he tried to show that Jesus and Judas (good and evil) are much closer to people than they seem.
Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie
The painter received an order to paint the work from his patron, the Duke of Milan. Ludovico Sforza in 1495. The ruler was famous for his dissolute life and from a young age was surrounded by young bacchantes. The situation did not change at all because the Duke had a beautiful and modest wife. Beatrice d'Este, who sincerely loved her husband and, due to her meek disposition, could not contradict his way of life. It must be admitted that Ludovico Sforza sincerely revered his wife and was attached to her in his own way. But the dissolute duke felt the true power of love only at the moment of the sudden death of his wife. The man's grief was so great that he did not leave his room for 15 days. And when he came out, the first thing he did was order a fresco from Leonardo da Vinci, which his late wife had once asked for, and forever stopped all entertainment at court.
Last Supper in the refectory
The work was completed in 1498. Its dimensions were 880 by 460 cm. Many connoisseurs of the artist’s work agreed that “The Last Supper” can best be viewed if you move 9 meters to the side and rise 3.5 meters up. Moreover, there is something to see. Already during the author’s lifetime, the fresco was considered his best work. Although, calling the painting a fresco would be incorrect. The fact is that Leonardo da Vinci wrote the work not on wet plaster, but on dry plaster, in order to be able to edit it several times. To do this, the artist applied a thick layer of egg tempra to the wall, which subsequently did a disservice, beginning to collapse just 20 years after the painting was painted. But more on that later.
Idea of the work
“The Last Supper” depicts the last Easter dinner of Jesus Christ with his disciples and apostles, held in Jerusalem on the eve of his arrest by the Romans. According to scripture, Jesus said during a meal that one of the apostles would betray him. Leonardo da Vinci tried to depict the reaction of each of the students to the prophetic phrase of the Teacher. To do this, he walked around the city, talked to ordinary people, made them laugh, upset them, and encouraged them. And at the same time he observed the emotions on their faces. The author's goal was to depict the famous dinner from a purely human point of view. That is why he depicted everyone present in a row and did not draw a halo above anyone’s head (as other artists liked to do).
Sketch of the Last Supper
Interesting Facts
Now we have reached the most interesting part of the article: the secrets and features hidden in the work of the great author.
Jesus on the Last Supper fresco
1 . According to historians, Leonardo da Vinci had the hardest time writing two characters: Jesus and Judas. The artist tried to make them the embodiment of good and evil, so for a long time he could not find suitable models. One day, an Italian saw a young singer in a church choir - so spiritual and pure that there was no doubt: here he was - the prototype of Jesus for his “Last Supper”. But, despite the fact that the image of the Teacher was painted, Leonardo da Vinci corrected it for a long time, considering it insufficiently perfect.
The last unwritten character in the picture was Judas. The artist spent hours wandering through the worst places, looking for a model to paint among the degraded people. And now, almost 3 years later, he got lucky. An absolutely degenerate guy in a state of severe alcoholic intoxication was lying in a ditch. The artist ordered him to be brought to the studio. The man could hardly stand on his feet and had no idea where he was. However, after the image of Judas was painted, the drunkard approached the picture and admitted that he had already seen it before. To the author’s bewilderment, the man replied that three years ago he was completely different, led a correct lifestyle and sang in the church choir. It was then that some artist approached him with a proposal to paint Christ from him. Thus, according to historians, Jesus and Judas were based on the same person at different periods of his life. This once again emphasizes the fact that good and evil go so close that sometimes the line between them is imperceptible.
By the way, while working, Leonardo da Vinci was distracted by the abbot of the monastery, who constantly hurried the artist and argued that he should paint a picture for days, and not stand in front of it in thought. One day the painter could not stand it and promised the abbot to write off Judas from him if he did not stop interfering in the creative process.
Jesus and Mary Magdalene
2. The most discussed secret of the fresco is the figure of the disciple located at the right hand of Christ. It is believed that this is none other than Mary Magdalene and her location indicates the fact that she was not Jesus' mistress, as is commonly believed, but his legal wife. This fact is confirmed by the letter “M”, which is formed by the contours of the couple’s bodies. Supposedly it means the word "Matrimonio", which translated means "marriage". Some historians argue with this statement and insist that Leonardo da Vinci's signature - the letter "V" - is visible in the painting. The first statement is supported by the mention that Mary Magdalene washed Christ’s feet and dried them with her hair. According to traditions, only a legal wife could do this. Moreover, it is believed that the woman was pregnant at the time of her husband’s execution and subsequently gave birth to a daughter, Sarah, who marked the beginning of the Merovingian dynasty.
3. Some scholars argue that the unusual arrangement of the students in the painting is not accidental. They say that Leonardo da Vinci placed people according to... zodiac signs. According to this legend, Jesus was a Capricorn and his beloved Mary Magdalene was a virgin.
Mary Magdalene
4. It is impossible not to mention the fact that during the bombing during the Second World War, a shell hit the church building, destroying almost everything except the wall on which the fresco was depicted. Although, the people themselves not only did not take care of the work, but also treated it in a truly barbaric manner. In 1500, a flood in the church caused irreparable damage to the painting. But instead of restoring the masterpiece, in 1566 the monks made a door in the wall depicting the Last Supper, which “cut off” the characters’ legs. A little later, the Milanese coat of arms was hung over the Savior’s head. And at the end of the 17th century, the refectory was turned into a stable. The already dilapidated fresco was covered with manure, and the French competed with each other: who would hit the head of one of the apostles with a brick. However, The Last Supper also had fans. The French king Francis I was so impressed by the work that he seriously thought about how to transport it to his home.
Fresco Last Supper
5. No less interesting are the thoughts of historians about the food depicted on the table. For example, near Judas Leonardo da Vinci depicted an overturned salt shaker (which at all times was considered a bad omen), as well as an empty plate. But the biggest point of controversy is still the fish in the picture. Contemporaries still cannot agree on what is painted on the fresco - a herring or an eel. Scientists believe that this ambiguity is not accidental. The artist specifically encrypted the hidden meaning in the painting. The fact is that in Italian “eel” is pronounced “aringa”. We add one more letter, and we get a completely different word - “arringa” (instruction). At the same time, the word "herring" is pronounced in northern Italy as "renga", which means "one who denies religion." For the atheist artist, the second interpretation is closer.
As you can see, in one single picture there are many secrets and understatements hidden, which more than one generation has been struggling to uncover. Many of them will remain unsolved. And contemporaries will only have to speculate and repeat the masterpiece of the great Italian in paint, marble, sand, trying to extend the life of the fresco.
"Culturology"
Vyacheslav Adrov:
Announcement...
In Milan, in the Church of Santa Maria della Grazie there is a famous fresco that has haunted numerous researchers of the personality of its author for hundreds of years. Since this is Leonardo himself, it is believed that there must be some kind of secret or, at least, a riddle in his work. There are many ideas and versions known about the secret messages contained in the fresco. For example, Dan Brown's version, which caused a lot of noise in the art world. I, like everyone else, took a close look at the image and, guess what, it seems to me that I understood its additional meaning (if there was one)! And Dan Brown's version is just a superficial reaction to the detail necessary to reflect the author's holistic intent. Moreover, there is a detail (a effeminate figure next to Christ) that carries a completely different meaning. No hints about the life partner of Christ!
In order to preserve the emotionality and dynamics of thoughts, I decided to write down thoughts and intellectual impulses as they arise and are realized. Thus, I maintained the atmosphere of research, writing down the next portion of mental developments; I still don’t know whether they will be useful in the future and, generally speaking, how will it all end? Will there be any interesting results? That's why the genre is indicated in the subtitle.
The mystery of Leonardo da Vinci's fresco "The Last Supper"
(detective investigation of one biased viewing of the famous fresco)
Part 1.
I start as usual. Returning from another trip organized by the “7 Peaks Club”, sitting in a rocking chair, wrapped in a blanket, looking at the raging fiery tongues of the fireplace stove and sipping... (insert yourself: pipe, cigar, cognac, Calvados,...), I thought about and I assessed the results of the trip and prepared for the next one. And then what caught my eye (or popped into my imagination) was a reproduction of the fresco “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci. As befits a normal traveler, I, of course, was in that very refectory of the monastery of Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan. And, of course, I admired (and now even more so) one of the master’s greatest creations (although almost nothing is visible on it, photo 1).
Briefly, to refresh your memory. The fresco (although, in fact, this image is not a fresco due to the peculiarities of the technology for its creation) has dimensions of 450 * 870 cm and was created in the period from 1495 to 1498 by order of Duke Ludovico Sforza and his wife Beatrice d’Este. Because it was not created like a typical fresco - painted with egg tempera on a dry wall covered with layers of resin, plaster and mastic - it began to deteriorate very early and was restored many times. At the same time, the attitude of restorers towards it was not always distinguished by such reverence as is customary now - faces and figures were corrected, various technologies for applying paint and protective coating were used. When trying to move it to another place in 1821, it was almost destroyed. There is nothing to say about the attitude of the French occupiers towards it, who set up an armory and prison prisoners in the monastery (there was such an episode in the history of the refectory).
A little about the plot. It is inspired by the biblical story of Jesus' last dinner with his disciples, where he said that one of those present would betray him. According to most art critics, Leonardo’s work most expressively of all similar works on this subject conveys the degree of the apostles’ emotional reaction to these words of Jesus.
How long has this fresco existed (more than 500 years), for the same number of years researchers and interpreters have been studying this work, finding or trying to find secret signs, symbols, riddles, messages,... Here there is surprise at the quality of the conveyed perspective, evidence of the use of the golden ratio, the search for the secret of the number 3 (3 windows, 3 groups of apostles, a triangle of the figure of Christ). Someone sees on the fresco an image of Mary Magdalene (with the female symbol V and the symbol M associated with her name - this is about Dan Brown), or John the Baptist with his favorite gesture - raised up index finger. I'm interested in all this, but not very much. As our man - an engineer - Leonardo must be practical, although the historical situation makes its own adjustments to the need to use the “Aesopian language”, and he could leave a DATE on his work! Which one? This is his choice, but the date is important for himself or for the entire World of the event. And I started looking for it in the image!
Let me remind you that the most reliable way fixation of dates, which does not depend on chronological systems, calendar reforms, the duration of the reigns of kings and dukes, the founding and destruction of cities, and even setting the date of the creation of the World - according to the stars, i.e., drawing up a horoscope! And this method was widely used not only in the Middle Ages. You may ask why I suddenly decided that there might be a date on the image? It seems to me that the author gladly took advantage of the great chance associated with the number 12. 12 hours, 12 months, 12 signs of the Zodiac, 12 apostles,... Well, I’ll also say about the horoscope. It uniquely determines the date if the locations of even seven planets visible to the naked eye in the constellations at the time of observation are indicated. Repetitions of such combinations are very rare and occur after hundreds of thousands of years! (With fewer accurately specified planets, the repetition period is shorter, but there are still very high chances of accurately indicating the date on historical period.) Since modern calculation methods based on the laws of celestial mechanics make it possible to restore the position of the planets in the sky at any moment, to determine the date, all that remains is to correctly set the initial data - that is, the location of the planets according to the constellations on the desired day.
So, I begin to peer and examine.
Apostles. Most likely (due to their number) these are symbols of the zodiac signs. But how can signs be distributed between characters, and who corresponds to which sign? Several comments immediately arise.
In many images of this plot, including on icons, judging by appearance characters, not only is the seating order inconsistent, but they also sit sometimes in a row, sometimes in a circle, sometimes in groups, that is, there seems to be no canonical order (traditional). For a long time, they could not identify all the characters in Leonardo’s image. Only four were reliably identified (out of 13!): Judas, John, Peter and Christ. Allegedly, in the 19th century, the diaries of Leonardo himself were “discovered” and everything was determined (there were also clues in the form of signatures under the characters on some modern copies of the fresco). Due to the dynamic arrangement of the figures - their “mixing”, “peeking out” from behind each other friend - there is a possibility that the constellations (if they are there) are not in zodiacal order.
One way or another, in accordance with prevailing ideas, the fresco depicts (from left to right, in the order of the FACES):
Bartholomew, Jacob Alpheus, Andrew, Judas Iscariot, Peter, John, Jesus Christ, Thomas, James Zebedee, Philip, Matthew, Judas Thaddeus, Simon.
To identify signs by which one could recognize allusions to the signs of the zodiac in the apostles, I tried to collect available factual information about the biographies of the characters, not yet knowing what of this might be useful (Table 1):
Their other names and nicknames;
The order of calling by Christ (only the first four are known);
Approximate age based on visual assessment of images (more by copy unknown artist(photo2);
The degree of kinship with Christ and the other apostles (who is interested in this topic, I recommend literature, except, of course, the Gospels: James D. Tabor “The Dynasty of Jesus” (AST, 2007), Michael Baigent “The Papers of Jesus” (Eksmo, 2008), Robert Ambelain “ Jesus or the Deadly Secrets of the Templars" (Eurasia, 2005), V.G. Nosovsky, A.T. Fomenko "Tsar of the Slavs" (Neva, 2005), "Apocryphal Tales (Patriarchs, Prophets and Apostles)" edited by V. Vitkovsky. (Amphora, 2005));
The occupation of the apostles before their ministry;
Circumstances of death;
Location of the graves and relics of the apostles.
I invite those who wish to clarify and add details to fill out the table more completely - it is very entertaining, and the information may be useful.
Finding information to fill out this table was very interesting and cognitive process, but it didn’t give me any ideas that I needed!
Let's continue. Since Leonardo arranged the apostles in groups of 3 people, and even mixed them up there, then maybe the order of the signs is not important for him? What if we play around with these threes - these are groupings of signs by types of elements?! Fire, earth, air, water? And what - 4 groups of 3 signs! Or maybe we should take into account the figure of Christ as a sign of the zodiac, and exclude Judas from consideration altogether!? After all, in almost all images of the Last Supper, artists separated Judas from the rest - either painted with very dark colors, or turned his face away from the viewer, or, as in the icons, deprived him, unlike the others, of a halo. And then - what sign can the figure of Christ represent? Maybe his sign is Capricorn? Then the division into groups seems to be broken and the division into groups itself loses its meaning (if there is one). And Leonardo's Judas visual means not very humbled. He, like 7 (!) other of the 12 apostles, is depicted in profile, but only slightly more turned away from the viewer.
Let's look further at the details of the image. Items on the table: maybe there are clues somewhere - filling and placement of glasses, placement of breads, plates, salt shakers, other items,...? Elements, colors of clothing,...? Hairstyles, degree of gray hair, presence and length of beard, ...? Stop! Beard! There are seven visible planets in total that were known before the invention of Galileo’s tube, together with the Sun and Moon, and also Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Thus, the maximum number of pointers to the planets is 7. We count the beards: in total, of different lengths, there are 8 of them. Together with the beard of Jesus. But maybe his beard shouldn’t be counted? I wonder who then is the Sun if not him?! Let's go further - hands. Who's holding what? Maybe some combinations on the fingers? Their relative position? We fill out the table further so that it is always before our eyes. Maybe not right away, but something will open up?
I'm rocking in a chair, sipping... Or maybe the bearded ones are after all planets, and, for example, some kind of comet? But, of the seven planets, two - female: Venus and the Moon, it’s somehow difficult to associate them with beards too. Let's take a closer look at the apostles: the artist gave two figures a clear effeminate appearance: John and Philip - both their faces and poses with crossed arms. Maybe this is an allusion to “female planets”? I’m rocking in my chair again: Leonardo da Vinci during his lifetime did not intend to be famous for centuries and wrote the fresco for the Customer and his contemporaries, so that with a little mental effort they could understand his additional message (except for the semantic and aesthetic).
What's in Judas's hand? And Peter’s too? No, Judas apparently has a bag of silver, which he will soon receive, and Peter has a knife, probably as a symbol of his future (ostentatious?) determination in the process of apprehending Jesus. All this is semantic attributes.
Still, we need to decide. I'm putting forward a hypothesis. The viewer's gaze is instinctively drawn to the figure of Jesus - this is God, this is the Sun! On his right hand is a young, but very energetic and aggressive man (John), whom Jesus, like his brother Jacob of Zebedee, called Boanerges (Boanerges) - apparently, “very, twice as energetic”! They reacted very aggressively and sometimes with anger to injustice, humiliation and insults and to things that were not going the way they would like! Moreover, completely in the style of the Caucasians, so that Christ had to restrain them! (this is where the previously collected information in table 1 came in handy -
This implies that they had appropriate hormonal levels and secondary sexual characteristics. And how we see this aggressive person in Leonardo - yes, she is a humble girl, such that some (Dan Brown) consider her a woman - Mary Magdalene! With such an obvious discrepancy, Leonardo hints - this is the constellation Virgo! And now let us once again pay attention to Jacob of Zebedee, whose figure (and NOT FACE) is closest to the left of Christ. He spread his arms in different directions. According to commentators, he restrains the apostles who emotionally perceived the words of Christ (or, perhaps, physically protects Jesus from a possible uncontrolled release of energy (that’s him, Boanerges!). And what do I see? With his spread arms, he looks like... Libra! !! Then it turns out that Jesus the Sun is located between the constellations Virgo and Libra! And all the signs are lined up in the usual order - from Aries to Pisces! And where are the other planets, except the Sun? I get up to sit in the rocking chair. laid out tables, printouts of the fresco. Mama Mia! (I’m hitting myself on the forehead!) Here they are, the signs of the planets! Just in the most obvious place! No racking my brain! Eh, I’m out of ink! a pen, and I’ll rock a little in the chair.
I draw your attention - since we identified Jacob the Elder with Libra, this means that the constellations are distributed not in the order of the PERSONS, but in the order of the seated FIGURES!