Secrets Pictures Last Supper. The meaning of the icon is a mystery and need it in the house

From left to right, the table with food stretches in full width of the picture. At the table face to us groups of three sit twelve characters with Christ in the center. The apostles communicate lively.
What are they talking about and what's the picture?

S. M. Sandomirsky

Lazarev V. N.: "The Last Supper is the most mature and finished work of Leonardo. In this painting, the Master avoids all the fact that the main course of the action shown by him ... The main task that Leonardo "The Secret Evening" was put on, was the real transfer of the most complicated mental reactions to the words of Christ: "One of you betray me" ... each of Pupils Leonardo interprets individually ... ".

It is unlikely that the "main task" of the artist was so small - to give a "mental reaction" of students of Christ. And what do we have before?

Gukovsky M. A. Writes: "Tragically doomed on the death of Christ, full of calm wisdom and love for a person for whom he is willing to transfer the death torment. His head, beautiful and simple, looms lightly, almost already unearthly on the background of an open window, his hands sacrificously and lovingly lay on the table. A terrible contrast looks gloomy and hard Judas ... His head, sharply turned back, is immersed in heavy darkness, tragically (?) Stressing his sharp features, predatory, hooked nose, an extreme evil look. Unless, the sacrificial service of the truth, the martyr of which was Leonardo himself, is opposed to cold, egoistic care ... ".

Head of Christ (work for the secret evening)

"The gloomy and rigidity" is still not enough to attribute a person, like the "predatory" nose and the "evil" look. And further:

"Different reactions of the apostles emphasize and clarify the entire tragic depth of the abyss between Christ and Juda. They swear (?) In their loyalty to the teacher, but none of them will find courage to enter into his death hour. Only one stands out from their frightened group - this is the Apostle Thomas ... ".

The fact that Christ came to Earth Savior, and Judas sold it, but it seems not very profitable, everyone knows from the Bible. Leonardo protrudes illustrator? Nobody stood? Peter entered into Christ and cut off the ear of the ear, which was an insane courage surrounded by dozen enemies. "Frightened group" of the apostles? Nobody frightened, look at the picture. Gukovsky extols the foma, seeing a scientist in it. And what about this outstanding? One disbelief is not enough to create something.

Consider the picture. It is composite to Christ in the center and four groups of the Apostles three each. All promising lines converge above the head of Christ. The highest figure is Christ, since he is sitting, almost thunder with standing characters; The lowest is the apostle (!) Judas. He is in a row with everyone, but Dan in a sharp turn to the left.

Judas

Christ has both brushes on the table. Stretched to us left hand with palm up, with your fingers touches the table, but the palm is raised: the words of Christ are rolled to us. At the same time, this palm is ready to take our words. From the wrist beats up and into the glass is implausably wide - one and a half finger width is a jet of blood. Right brush with widely diluted tense semi-bent fingers in a very energetic movement moves to us ... Air: There is nothing under the fingers!

The blood flies with a jet, but Christ sit down, although sad, but calm. It is amazing that those surrounding (except Jacob) do not pay attention to this: no one is in a hurry to bandage hand. All something excitedly discussed. We give the famous place from the Bible in Matthew Gl. 26:

"And when they ate, said: True I tell you that one of you betray me. They were very saddened and began to talk to him, each of them: Is I not, Lord? He said in response: Holding his hand to the dish, this will betray me; However, the Son of Human goes, as it is written about him, but the grief of the man who the Son is indulcated: it would be better not to be born. With Sez and Judas, who betrays him, said: Isn't I Rabbi? Jesus tells him: You said. And when they spruce, Jesus took bread and, blessing, prevented and, handing out students, said: Hold, Fly: This is my body. And, taking a bowl and thanks, he filed them and said: Drink everything out of it; For this is the blood of my new covenant, for many exhausted to leaving sins. "

Words: "They are very sad and began to talk to him, each of them: I'm not, Lord" does not correspond to the rapid reaction of the apostles in the picture. Tuting bread, in which the blessing of Christ, fell as if his body: the qualities of the teacher become their qualities. When the disciples drink blood wine, they comprehend the essence of the New Testament, because the blood according to the beliefs of the ancients was the material carrier of the soul. The right hand of Christ by a sharp movement sends the new covenant forward, the commandments of which proclaimed the left hand and blood. Do you accept them, whether it is able to carry out, he asks the apostles, because one of you not only disagree with me, but betray me. The posture of Christ is also talking about this: the head and hands form a wide triangle, on the sides of which to the right and the left of his words will be tamed, hit the apostles and throw them on the parties: some outraged, - this can not be! And others are willing to turn the traitor. The teacher's left palm takes the answer of students. The fact that Christ saw and heard will plunge him in sadness, for he will see their weakness. He gives his head, recognizing the rightness of answering his challenge. Answer Dan Jude.

How does the artist reinforce the said? Sitting Christ above all, promising lines converge on his head, he sits on a light background of an open door, behind which an open space. The artist emphasizes and shares his high spiritual principles, but convinced, they will not find support, they are naive, lifeless, and they are waiting for the same death as the close death of the teacher himself (the eyes of Christ are at the level of the horizon and soon he himself and his teaching will die) . Judas broadcasts from spiritual Niza, but this low, earthly right on his side.

Robert Wallace in the book World Leonardo, M., 1997 writes: "Of the two problems with which the authors of the" secret evening "were faced with centuries, the problem of allocating Judah Leonardo decided with the greatest ease. He placed the Judas on the same side of the table as everyone else, but psychologically separated him from other loneliness, which is much more smaster than just physical removal. Gloomy and focused, Judah pulled out from Christ. On it, as if the age-old printing of guilt and loneliness. "

Judas sits with everyone as the apostle in a number of apostles. Lonely Christ, because of the cookie, but who is the least alone, is Judas. Hence his confident power. And there is no guilt, because the conversation in the picture is not about betrayal, but about the salvation of the soul of people, the least concerned about it.

Consider the apostles, although after what they already have nothing to decide.

12 11 10 9 8 7 Christ 1 2 3 4 5 6
Foma Jacob (senior) Philip Matthew Faddia Simeon
Bartholomew Jekov (Juda) Andrei Judas Peter John

1. Thomas in the doorway door on a light background. The right brush is compressed, index finger up: "God will not allow such a crime."

2. Jacob Sr. with horror looks at the blood of the new Testament beside the wrist. Widely stretched hands and palms constrain the words of Christ and try to protect those standing behind him.

Heads of St. Thomas and Sv James Zeyadeeva (work for the secret evening)

3. Philip presses the fingers to the chest and represented by Molba: "Believe me, on my part it is impossible."

4. Both hands take the words of Christ and the look asks Simeon: "Is it possible that he says."

5. Fadda right palm takes the words of Christ and promotes Simeon.

6. Matthew, both palms are directed to Christ, - he returns his words back: "It is impossible!".

7. John. The fingers are clips and lie on the table, which is a flour, weakness. Sharply swung left, eyes covered. The head is powerless on his shoulder.

8. Peter. The left hand takes the words of Christ and soothes John. In the right hand, the knife - he is ready to kill the traitor.

9. Judah: Sustainable Low Power, conviction in its rightness, determination, energy.

Heads of St. Peter and Judas (work for the secret evening)

10. Raised palm of Andrei at the chest level: "Who is the traitor?". The look squeeed on the knife.

11. The right hand of Jacob younger on Andrei's shoulder: He agrees with him. She takes the words of Christ.

12. Bartholomew resolutely stood and ready to act.

In general, the right group of the apostles does not allow betrayal; Left - allows such an opportunity and is determined to show the traitor.

In the way to the left of John, freeing the window - the light of the truth of Christ, and Thomas, being in the window at the level of Christ, but hopes not on himself, but on God; As the older Jacob, the older apostle was thrown, they were mixed, confused, the other students were given the ideas of Leonardo da Vinci, that the ideas of sacrifice and salvation, the commandments of the New Testament of Christ the Apostles - these weak people - will not be a victim in vain. This is the reason for the despondency of Christ. Moreover, the artist himself gives tribute to the high aspiration and the victim of the earthly God.

2002-2003 S. M. Sandomir

Leonardo da Vinci. Last evening. 1494 -1498 (before restoration)

From the evidence of the ammouth it should be concluded that the picture "The Last Supper" was completed in 1497. Unfortunately, Leonardo da Vinci performed her paints, of which some were very fragile. After fifty years after graduation, the picture, according to the testimony of Vazari, was in the most miserable condition. However, if at that time it was possible to fulfill the desire of the King of Francis I, expressed after sixteen years after the end of the picture, and, having climbing the wall, translate the picture to France, then maybe it would be preserved. But this could not be done. In 1500, the water, fading the meal, finally spoiled the wall. In addition, in 1652, the door in the wall was broken under the Savior face, which destroyed the legs of this figure. The picture was recalculated several times. In 1796, after the transition of the French through the Alps, Napoleon gave a strict prescription to spare a meal, but the generals who followed him, not paying attention to his order, turned this place to the stable, and subsequently in a folding place for the hay.

Big Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron

Leonardo da Vinci. Last Supper.1494 -1498 (after restoration)

V. Lazarev

The most famous work of Leonardo is the famous "Last Supper" in the Milan Monastery of Santa Maria della Grazie. This painting, in the present, representing the Ruin, was carried out between 1495 - 1497. The reason for rapidly damage, which has already known itself, was already in 1517, it was a kind of technique that combined oil with tempera.

In connection with the "Last Supper", Vazari leads a funny episode in his lives, perfectly characterizing the artist's work manner and its sharp language. The misfortune of Leonardo, the Prior of the Monastery persistently demanded that he would rather finish his work. "He seemed strange to see Leonardo for a whole half of the day standing in thought. He wanted the artist to not let the brushes from the hands, like the work in the garden do not stop. Without limited to this, he complained to the duke and so began to displays him that he was forced to send him for Leonardo and in a delicate form to ask him to take up work, in every way giving it to understand that all this he did at the insistence. " When hearing the duke to talk to general artistic topics, Leonardo then pointed to him that he was close to the end of the painting and that he remains to write only two heads - Christ and Traitor Juda. "This last head, he would still like to search, but in the end, if he won't find anything better, he is ready to use the head of this very prior, so obsessive and indiscreet. This remark was very launched Duke, who said to him that he was a thousand times right. So the poor embarrassed prior continued to customize the work on the garden and left Leonardo, who finished the head of Judah, who had the true embodiment of betrayal and inhumanity. "

Leonardo's Milan painting was preparing carefully and long. He performed a lot of sketches in which he studied poses and gestures of individual figures. The "Last Supper" attracted him not to his dogmatic content, and the ability to deploy a great human drama to the audience, show the various characters, reveal the spiritual world of a person and accurately and clearly describe his experiences. He perceived the "secret evening" as a scene of betrayal and set himself the goal of entering this traditional image of the dramatic beginning, thanks to which it would acquire a completely new emotional sound.

Hovering the idea of \u200b\u200bthe "secret evening", Leonardo not only performed the sketches, but also recorded his thoughts on the actions of individual participants of this scene: "The one who drank and put the Cup in place, turns his head to the speaker, the other connects the fingers of both hands and with frowning eyebrows Looks at his companion, the other shows the palms of hand, lifts his shoulders to the ears and expresses his mouth surprise ... ". The names are not indicated by the names of the apostles, but Leonardo, apparently, clearly imagined the actions of each of them and the place that everyone was called upon to occupy in the overall composition. Speaking in the drawings of postures and gestures, he was looking for such forms of expression that would involve all figures in a single whirlpool of passions. He wanted to capture in the images of the apostles of living people, each of whom responds in its own way to what is happening.

"The Last Supper" is the most mature and finished work of Leonardo. In this painting, the Master avoids everything that could darken the main course of the action depicted by him, he achieves a rare conviction of the composite solution. In the center, he puts the figure of Christ, highlighting it with the lumen of the door. Apostles, he consciously moves away from Christ to further focus his place in the composition. Finally, for the same purpose, he makes it converge all the promising lines at the point directly located above the head of Christ. Leonardo students break into four symmetric groups, full of life and movement. It makes a small table, and the refectory is strict and simple. This gives him the opportunity to focus the attention of the viewer in the figures with a huge plastic force. In all these techniques, a deep dedication of the creative plan is affected, in which everything weighed and taken into account.

Golden section on the "secret evening"

The main task that Leonardo put on a "secret evening", was the realistic transfer of the most complicated mental reactions to the words of Christ: "One of you betray me." Giving the finished human characters and temperatures in the images of the apostles, Leonardo makes each of them respond to the words uttered by Christ. It is this fine psychological differentiation that is based on the diversity of persons and gestures, and hit most contemporaries Leonardo, especially when comparing his painting with earlier Florentine images on the same theme of Brush Tadeo Guddi, Andrea Del Kastano, Kozimo Rosselli and Domenico Girlandiao. All these masters, the apostles are sitting calmly, like the alike, at the table, remaining completely indifferent to everything that happens. Without having enough strong funds in his arsenal for the psychological characteristics of Judas, Leonardo's predecessors allocated him from the general group of the Apostles and had in the form of a completely insulated figure in front of the table. Thus, Judas artificially opposed to the entire assembly as a rudder and villain. Leonardo boldly breaks this tradition. His artistic language is rich enough to not resort to such, purely external effects. He unites Judah in one group with all other apostles, but gives him such features that allow the attentive viewer to immediately identify it among the twelve students of Christ.

Each of the students Leonardo interprets individually. Like the stone-abandoned stone, generating a circle, the words of Christ, who fell among the dead silence, cause the greatest movement in the meeting, in a minute before being in full peace. Especially impulsively respond to the words of Christ those three apostles that sit on his left hand. They form an inextricable group, imbued with a single will and a single movement. Young Philippe jumped out of the place, turning to the underwent question to Christ, Jacob Senior in the indignation spread his hands and leaned back a little back, Thomas raised his hand up, as if trying to give himself a report in what was happening. The group, located on the other side of Christ, is imbued with a completely different spirit. A significant interval separated from the central figure, it differs in incomparably greater gesture restraint. Presented in a sharp turn of Judas convulsively squeezes the wallet with the Srebreniki and looks at Christ with fear; His shaded, ugly, rough profile is contrastingly opposed to the brightly lit, beautiful face of John, loosely dropped his head on his shoulder and calmly arguing on the table. Between Jew and John, the head of Peter is wedged; Bending to John and leaning with his left hand about his shoulder, he whispers something in his ear, while his right hand resolutely grabbed the sword he wants to defend his teacher. Sitting near Peter three other apostles are turned into profile. It looks closely at Christ, they ask him about the culprit of betrayal. At the opposite end of the table, the last group of three figures is presented. Matthew-stretched towards Christ, stretched to Christ, appeals to the elderly Fadda, as if wanting to get an explanation of everything from him. However, the adepent gesture of the latter clearly shows that he remains in ignorance.

Not by chance, Leonardo portrayed both extreme figures sitting along the edges of the table, in a clean profile. They closure on both sides running from the center, performing here the same role that belonged to the "worship of the Magi" to the Figures of the Old Man and the young man, set as the very edges of the picture. But if the psychological means of expression from Leonardo did not rise in this work of the early Florentine era above the traditional level, then in the "secret evening" they reach such perfection and depths that were equal in vain to be found in all Italian art of the XV century. And this perfectly understood the contemporaries of the masters who took the "Layer Supper" Leonardo as a new word in art. She was amazed and continues to hit not only the truthfulness of details, but also with loyalty "in reproducing typical characters in typical circumstances", that is, the fact that Engels considered the main sign of realism.

In a recent stream of books and articles, there were increasingly assumptions that Leonardo da Vinci was the leader of the underground society and that he hid the secret codes and messages in his artistic work. Is it true? In addition to his role in history as a famous artist, a scientist and inventor, whether he was also a keeper of some huge secrecy, which is transmitted for centuries?

Ciphers and encryption. Encryption method Leonardo da Vinci.

Leonardo was, of course, not get used to the use of codes and encryption. All his notes are written back in advance, mirror. Why Leonardo did it - it remains unclear. It was suggested that he may have felt that some of his military inventions would be too destructive and powerful if they had fallen in other people's hands. Therefore, he defended his papers using the reverse record method. Other scientists indicate that this type of encryption is too simple, because for its decryption you only need to bring paper to the mirror. If Leonardo used it for security, it was probably concerned about hiding the contents only from the random observer.

Other researchers believe that he used the return letter, simply because he was so easier for him. Leonardo was left-handed, and writing in the opposite direction was less difficult for him than for right-handed.

Kriptex.

Recently, many people attribute Leonardo invention of the mechanism called Cryptex. Cryptex is a tube that consists of a series of rings with alphabet letters engraved on them. When the rings are rotated in such a way that some letters are built into the line, forming a password to open the crypthecus - one of the end caps becomes possible to remove, and the contents (usually it is a piece of papyrus, wrapped around a glass container with vinegar) can be extracted. If someone tries to get the content by breaking the device - the glass container inside splits and vinegar solvents written on the papyrus.

In his popular book (artistic) "Da Vinci Code", Den Brown attributes the invention of Kriptec Leonardo da Vinci. But the real evidence that Daver Vinci came up with and / or constructed this device - no.

Secrets of the paintings of Mona Lisa Leonardo da Vinci. The mystery of the smile of Joconda.

One popular idea is that Leonardo wrote secret symbols or messages in their works. After analyzing his most famous painting, "Mona Lisa", many are confident that Leonardo, when creating a picture, used some tricks. Many people consider the smile of Joconds especially intrusive. They say that it seems to be changed, even if there are no changes in the properties of paint on the surface of the picture.

Professor Margaret Livingston from Harvard University assumes that Leonardo drew the edges of a smile in the portrait, so that they seem like a little bit of focus. Because of this, they are easier to see peripheral vision than if you look directly on them. This can explain why some people report that the portrait seems to smile more when they look directly on a smile.

Another theory proposed by Christopher Tyler and Leonid Kontsevich from the research institute Smith-Kettlevel's research institute says that a smile seems to change due to variable levels of random noise in the human visual system. If you close your eyes in a dark room, you will notice that everything is not perfect black. Cells of our eyes create a low "background noise" (we see it as tiny light and dark dots). Our brain is usually filtered, but Tyler and Kontsevich suggested that when considering Lisa Mona, these small points could change the shape of her smile. As evidence of their theory, they left several random sets of points to the picture "Mona Lisa" and showed it to people. Some of the respondents said that the Jocond smile looks more joyful than usual, the other seemed to be the opposite that the points were overshadowed. Tyler and Contesevich claim that the noise that is inherent in the human visual system gives the same effect. When someone considers the picture, his visual system adds noise to the image and changes it, it seems that the smile has changed.

Why is Mona Lisa smiles? Over the years, people have advanced such versions: some believed that perhaps she was pregnant, others - find this smile sad and suggest that she was unhappy in marriage.

Dr. Lilian Schwartz from the research center of Label Bella invented a version that seems unlikely, but intriguing. She thinks Jocona is smiling, because the artist swirl over the audience. She claims that the picture does not smile a young woman that in fact it is a self-portrait of the artist himself. Schwartz noticed that when she used the computer to identify the features on the portrait of Mona Lisa and a self portrait da Vinci - they completely coincided. However, other experts note that this may be the result of the fact that both portraits are drawn by the same paints and brushes, the same artist, and using the same methods of writing.

The mystery of the picture is the Loyary Supper Leonardo da Vinci.

Dan Brown in his popular thriller Da Vinci code suggests that Leonardo's picture The Layry Supper has a number of hidden meanings and symbols. In the fictional story there is a conspiracy of the early church to suppress the importance of Mary Magdalene, the sequence of Jesus Christ (history testifies - to the chagrin of many believers - that she was his wife). Allegedly Leonardo was the head of the secret order of people who knew the truth about Magdalene and tried to save her. One of the methods of Leonardo to do this is to leave the keys to a randering in your famous work - in a secret evening.

The picture shows the last dinner of Jesus together with his students before his death. Leonardo tries to catch the moment when Jesus announces that he will be devoted, and that one of the men at the table will be his traitor. The most significant key left Leonardo, according to Brown, is that a student who is identified in the picture as John is actually Maria Magdalene. Indeed, if you quit a quick look at the picture, it seems that this is true. The man depicted on the right of Jesus has long hair and smooth skin, which could be considered as women's features, compared to the rest of the apostles that look a little more rude and seem older. Brown also indicates that Jesus and the figure on the right hand of it, together form the letter "M". Is it a marriage symbolizing or maybe a wife (Matrimony translated from English marriage, marriage)? Is it keys to secret knowledge left by Leonardo?

"Last Supper" Leonardo da Vinci

Despite the first impression that this figure in the picture looks more feminine, remains a question, whether this figure looked also laughed for the audience that era in which Leonardo wrote this picture. Probably not. After all, John was considered the youngest of the disciples, and he was often portrayed in the form of a bell-free young man with a soft feature of the face and long hair. Today it is possible to regard this personality as a female being, but if you return to Florence, in the fifteenth century, to take into account the difference of cultures and expectations, try to delve into the presentation of those days about the female and male principle - you can already be sure that it is actually a woman . Leonardo was not the only artist who depicted John in a similar way. Domenico Girlandiano and Andrea Del Kastano in his paintings wrote John similar:

"Last Supper" Andrea Del Kastano

"Last Supper" Domenico Girlandiao

In the "Treatise on Painting," Leonardo explains that the characters in the picture must be depicted on the basis of their types. These types may be: "sage" or "old woman". Each type has its own characteristics, for example: beard, wrinkles, short or long hair. John, as in the photo, on the "Last Supper" is a student type: the goldenman who has not yet matured. Artists of that era, including Leonardo, would depict this type, "student", as a very young man with a soft feature of the face. That is what we see in the picture.

As for the contour of "M" in the picture, this is the result of how the artist composed the picture. Jesus, at the moment when he announces his betrayal, sits one in the center of the picture, his body in shape resembles a pyramid, students are located groups on both sides of him. Leonardo often used the shape of the pyramid in the compositions of their works.

Priora Zion.

There are assumptions that Leonardo was the head of the secret group called Zion Priora. According to Da Da Vinci, the mission of the priority was to preserve the mystery of Mary Magdalene about her marriage with Jesus. But after all, the book Da Vinci Code is a fiction, based on theories from the controversial "non-Fikshn" of the book called Holy Blood and Holy Grail of the authors of Richard Lee, Michael Bagenta and Henry Lincoln, written in the early 1980s.

In the Book of Holy Blood and Holy Grail, as evidence of Leonardo's membership in the priority of Zion, a number of documents are provided that are stored in the France National Library, in Paris. While there are some evidence that the Order of the monks with this title existed in 1116. er, and this medieval group has nothing to do with the priority of Zion 20 century, and the years of life da Vinci: 1452 - 1519.

Documents confirming the existence of a priogency actually is, but it is likely that they are part of the hoax, conceived by the person named Pierre Planter in the 1950s. Platar and the group of his like-minded people of the right sense with anti-Semitic inclinations founded in 1956 by Priorat. Making fake documents, including fake genealogical tables, apparently, Slavear hoped to prove that he was a descendant of merindoving and the heir to the French throne. The document allegedly testifies that Leonardo, along with such cylindowns, like Botticelli, Isaac Newton and Hugo consisted of organizing the prioge of Zion - with great probability, can also be fake.

It was unclear whether Pierre Planar was also perpetuating the history of Mary Magdalene. It is known that he argued that the priorata possesses a treasure. Not a set of invaluable documents, as in the "code of Da Vinci", and the list of sacred items written on a copper scroll, one of the deaths of the Dead Sea found in the 50s. Plantar told the interviewers that the priorat would return this treasure to Israel when "comes time." Expert opinions on this occasion were divided: some believe that there is no scroll, some - that he is fake, and some that he is real, but does not belong to the right priorea.

The fact that Leonardo da Vinci was not a member of the secret society, as shown in the code da Vinci, is not a reason to stop admire by his talent. The inclusion of this historical personality in modern fiction intrigues, but it does not overshadow it to achieve it. His artworks were and there is a source of inspiration for millions over the centuries and contain subtleties that even the best experts are still trying to solve. In addition, its experiments and inventions characterize it as an advanced thinker whose findings go far beyond its contemporaries. The main secret of Leonardo da Vinci is that he was a genius, but in those days they could not understand this.

"The Last Supper", of course, one of the most mysterious works of the brilliant Leonardo da Vinci, with whom only his "Joconda" can compete in the number of rumors and speculation.

After the publication of the novel "Code of Da Vinci" to the fresco, adorning the refectory Milan Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie (Chiesa E Convento Domenicano Di Santa Maria Delle Grazie), the attention of not only researchers of the history of the arts, but also lovers of all kinds of conspiracy . In today's article, I will try to answer the most popular questions concerning the "Secret Supper" Leonardo da Vinci.

1. How is Leonardo "Last Supper" called?

Surprisingly, the "Last Supper" only in the Russian version has such a name in the languages \u200b\u200bof other countries and the biblical event depicted on Leonardo's fresco, and the fresco itself is much less poetic, but the very tar name "Last Dinner", that is, Ultima Cena In Italian or the Last Supper in English. In principle, the name more accurately reflects the essence of what is happening on the wall painting, because we are not a secret collection of conspirators, but the last dinner of Christ with the apostles. The second name of the frescoes in Italian - Il Cenacolo, which is simply translated as "refectory".

2. How did the idea of \u200b\u200bwriting a "secret evening"?

Before answering this question, it is necessary to make a certain clarity as to what laws the art market lived in the fifteenth century. In fact, the free art market then did not exist, artists, as well as sculptors worked only if they received an order from rich and influential families or from the Vatican. As you know, I started my career Leonardo da Vinci in Florence, many believe that he had to leave the city because of the accusations of homosexuality, but, in fact, everything was most likely more prosaic. Just at Leonardo in Florence was a very strong competitor - Michelangelo, who enjoyed the huge location of Lorenzo Medici gorgeous and took all the most interesting orders. Milan Leonardo arrived at the invitation of Ludo Sforza and remained in Lombardy for 17 years.

In the illustration: Louis Sforza and Beatrice d'Este

All these years, Da Vinci not only engaged in art, but also designed his famous military vehicles, durable and light bridges and even mills, and was also an artistic director of mass events. For example, it was Leonardo da Vinci that was the organizer of the wedding of Bianca Mary Sforza (Louisko's niece) with Emperor Maximilian I from Innsbruck, and, of course, he arranged the wedding of Louis Sforzo himself with Young Beatrice d'Esta - one of the most beautiful princess of the Italian Renaissance. Beatrice D'Esta was from rich Ferrara, and her younger brother. The princess was perfectly educated, her husband was guarding her not only for amazing beauty, but also for a sharp mind, but, moreover, contemporaries noted that Beatrice was very energetic, she took an active part in state affairs and patronized artists.

In the photo: Santa Maria delle Grazie (Chiesa E Convento Domenicano di Santa Maria Delle Grazie)

It is believed that the idea of \u200b\u200bdecorating the santa-delle-grazie monastery of Santa Maria-delle Grazie on the theme of the last dinner of Christ with the apostles belongs to it. Beatriche's choice fell on this Dominican monastery for one simple reason - the monastery church was by the standards of the fifteenth century to the construction of superior fantasies of the people of that time, so that the scenery of the monastery deserved her to decorate the hand of the master. Unfortunately, Beatrice, D'Esta, the Fresco "The Last Supper" did not see, she died in childbirth in a very young age, she was only 22 years old.

3. How old is Leonardo da Vinci wrote a "secret evening"?

It does not exist correct answer to this question, it is considered that the work on the painting was launched in 1495, it was breaking with interruptions, and Leonardo graduated from about 1498, that is, the next year after the death of Beatrice d'Est. However, since the archives of the monastery were destroyed, the exact date of the start of work on the frescoes is unknown, one can only assume that it could not start until 1491, since the marriage of Beatrice and Louis Sforza took place this year, and, if you focus on a few documents that came out To this day, then, judging by them, the painting was in the final stage already in 1497.

4. Is Leonardo Da Vinci Fresco in a strict understanding of this term?

No, in a strict understanding - is not. The fact is that this type of painting implies that the artist should write quickly, that is, working on a wet plaster and immediately for a cleaner. For Leonardo, who was very meticulous and did not recognize the work immediately score, it was completely unacceptable, so Da Vinci invented a special soil from resin, Gabs and mastics and wrote a "secret evening" on dry. On the one hand, he was able to put into painting numerous changes, and on the other, it was because of the painting on a dry surface of the cloth very quickly began to collapse.

5. What moment is depicted on the "secret evening" Leonardo?

The moment when Christ says that one of the students betray him, the focus of the artist's attention is the reaction of students on his words.

6. Who is sitting on the right hand from Christ: Apostle John or Maria Magdalene?

There is no unequivocal answer to this question, there is a rule here, who believes that it sees. Moreover, the current state of "the secret evening" is very far from what contemporaries da Vinci saw the fresco. But, it is worth saying, contemporaries Leonardo The figure on his right hand from Christ did not surprise and did not indignant. The fact is that on the frescoes on the theme of the "secret evening" the figure on the right hand from Christ was always very feminine, it is worth seeing the authorship of one of the sons of Luini, which can be seen in the Milan Basilica of San Maurizio.

In the photo: "Last Supper" in Basilica San Maurizio

Here, the figure in the same position again looks very feminine, in a word, one of two: or all artists of Milan consisted in a secret plot and portrayed Maria Magdalin at the secret evening, or it's just a feature tradition - to portray John the feminine young men. Decide yourself.

7. What is the innovation of the "Last Supper", why say that Leonardo completely moved away from classic canons?

First of all, in realism. The fact is that by creating his masterpiece, Leonardo decided to move away from the painting on the biblical themes that had existed at the time, he wanted to achieve such an effect so that the monks who had lunch in the hall were physically felt the presence of the Savior. That is why all household items are written off from those subjects that were in the convenience of the monks of the Dominican Monastery: the same tables, for which Sovremenniki Leonardo, the same utensils, the same dishes, yes, that there, even a landscape outside the window - Reminds the view of the windows The refectory, how he was in the fifteenth century.

In the photo: Mirror image of "Secret Supper"

But that's not all! The fact is that the rays of light on the fresco - the continuation of the real sunlight, which dropped into the window of the refectory, in many places the golden cross section passes, and due to the fact that Leonardo managed to correctly reproduce the depth of the prospects, the fresco after completing the work was volumetric, that is, In fact, it was made with 3D effect. Unfortunately, now, you can see this effect only from one point of the hall, the coordinates of the desired point: 9 meters deep into the hall from the frescoes and about 3 meters above the current level of the floor.

8. From whom Leonardo wrote Christ, Judas and other fresco characters?

All the characters on the fresco are written with Contemporaries Leonardo, they say, the artist constantly walked through the streets of Milan and I found out suitable types, which even caused the displeasure of the monastery's abbot, who considered that the artist was not enough time to work. As a result, Leonardo told the abbot that if he would not stop bothering him, then the portrait of Judah would be written with him. The threat has occurred, and more instead of the maestro did not interfere. For the image of Judas, the artist could not find the type for a very long time, until he met a suitable person on Milan Street.

Judas on the fresco "Last Supper"

When Leonardo brought a statist to his studio, it turned out that the same person had previously posted yes Vinci for the image of Christ, just then he sang in the church choir and looked quite differently. Here is such an evil irony! In the light of this information, a well-known historical anecdote that the person from whom Leonardo wrote Jude was told to everyone that he was depicted on the "secret evening" in the image of Christ, acquires a very different meaning.

9. Is there a portrait of Leonardo himself on the fresco?

There is a theory that at the "Last Evening" there is a self-portrait Leonardo, allegedly the artist is present on the fresco in the form of the Apostle Faddey - this is the second figure on the right.

Image of the Apostle Faddee on the fresco and portraits of Leonardo da Vinci

The truth of this statement is still questionable, but the analysis of portraits Leonardo clearly demonstrates strong external similarity with the image on the fresco.

10. How is the "Secret Supper" and the number 3?

Another mystery of the "secret evening" is a constantly repeated number 3: on the fresco three windows, the apostles are located in groups of three people, even the contours of the figure of Jesus resemble a triangle. And, I must say, it is no longer at all, because the number 3 constantly appears in the New Testament. The point is not only in the Holy Trinity: God Father, the God-Son and the Holy Spirit, the number 3 passes through the entire description of the earthly ministry of Jesus.

Three Maghes brought gifts giving birth to Jesus in Nazareth, 33 years old - the term of the earthly life of Christ, also according to the new Testament for three days and three nights to be the son of God in the heart of the Earth (Matt. 12:40), that is, Jesus was in hell in the evening Fridays in the morning of Sunday, in addition, the apostle Peter rented three times from Jesus Christ before the rooster was missing (by the way, the prediction of it also sounded at the secret evening), three crosses were tied on Calval, and Christ was rummaged on the third day after the crucifixion.

Practical information:

Tickets for visiting the "Secret Evening" must be ordered in advance, but rumors that they need to booke for six months are greatly exaggerated. In fact, for the month, or even three weeks before the alleged visit, free tickets for the desired dates are usually available. You can order tickets on the site :, the cost depends on the season, in the winter a visit to the "Secret Supper" costs 8 euros, in the summer - 12 euros (rates for information for 2016). In addition, the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie often you can often see dealers selling tickets with extra charge in 2-3 euros, so if you are lucky, you can get there and accidentally. Photographing the fresco is prohibited, input - strictly in time indicated on the ticket.

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Julia Malkova - Julia Malkova - Founder of the project site. In the past, the chief editor of the Elle.ru online project and the chief editor of the site Cosmo.ru. I'm talking about traveling for your own pleasure and pleasure readers. If you are a representative of hotels, tourism office, but we are not familiar, you can contact me by email: [Email Protected]

"The Last Supper" Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most revered, in detail of the studied and most frequently copied paintings in the world. It is difficult to argue that even the most sophisticated art historian knows about this work absolutely everything. Here are some little-known facts:

1. Picture is quite big

Currency reproductions are printed in all possible formats, but the original has dimensions of approximately 10 to 5 meters.

2. It shows the climax

All (there is such hope) It is known that the picture is depicting the last dinner of Jesus with his apostle students, before he was captured, and then crucified. Less people know that the author wanted to show the most dramatic moment, in which the Son of God opens at the present that soon one of them betray him. This explains the expression of surprise and anger on the faces of the Apostles. In the interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci in this moment, the sacrament is born, as Jesus reached for bread and wine, the key symbols of this Christian sacrament.

3. The picture is not in the museum

Despite the fact that the "Last Supper" is one of the most famous paintings in the world, the place of its permanent exposition is the monastery of Santa Maria Delle Grazie in Milan. Move somewhere else this work would be difficult, if not more, it is written on the wall of refectory in 1495.

4. The picture is written on the wall, but it is not fresco

The frescoes are applied only on raw plaster. Leonardo da Vinci rejected this traditional technique for several reasons, but the main of them was that he did not want to rush.

5. When writing, a unique technology was used.

Leonardo da Vinci invented its own technique of applying tempera paint on a stone. He primed the wall with the material, which he hoped, absorbs the Tepe and protects it from dampness.

6. Very little left from the original letter.

The picture came out beautiful, but the technology mentioned above did not justify itself. Already by the beginning of the XVI century, the paint layer began to flap and collapse. The first attempts of restoration were unsuccessful. The work suffered and during the invasion of Napoleon, and with the bombings of aviation allies, when the monastery shuddered from the explosions. Only in 1980 serious work began to restore the painting, but most painting was lost forever.

7. The hammer and nail were important tools on a par with tassels.

"The Last Supper" is famous for the perfection of the prospects, the viewer seems to be personally present in the dramatic stage. To achieve this illusion, the artist scored a nail into the wall, and then tied the twiners to him that helped create the right corners of the lines.

8. During the repair, part of the "Secret Supper"

In 1652, a doorway was droveled in the wall of the refectory. As a result, the lower central fragment was lost on which the legs of Jesus were depicted.

9. Judas may be written from a real criminal

It is known that real people served as models for the images of the apostles. When it was time to choose a face for a traitor Judah (he fifth on the left, holding a bag of silver), Leonardo da Vinci went to the Milan prison in search of the face of the perfect scoundrel.

10. Thomas did not just raised her hand

Thomas stands to the right of Jesus sideways, holding up his fingers. There is an assumption that this gesture means a hint of further events of biblical history. When Jesus rose from the dead, Thomas (as you know, "not believing") doubted and even investigated his wounds, immersing fingers in them.

11. Food is full of symbolism

In front of Juda Salt hints at its upcoming treason. In herring, many see the symbolic association with atheism.

12. The picture gave rise to many absurd theories

In the "Revelation of the Templars" Lynn Picnett and Clive Prince suggested that the figure to the left of Jesus depicts not John, but Maria Magdalene, and that the "Last Supper" can serve as key proof of concealment by the Roman Catholic Church of the true personal identity of Christ.

Some composers believe that some information is encoded in the "Secret Evening", which is a melody. In 2007, the Italian musician Giovanni Maria Pala created 40 seconds of gloomy harmony, using notes, allegedly encrypted in the image. Three years later, the Researcher from the Vatican Sabrina Sforza Galicia revealed in the picture "Mathematical and astrological signs", which Leonardo da Vinci, according to her version, notified humanity about the upcoming end of the world. She argues that at the "Last Evening" there is a prediction of the apocalyptic flood, which will fill the entire planet from March 21 to November 1, 4006. Wait for a long time ...

13. "The Last Supper" inspired fiction

This refers not only the "Da Vinci code". A characteristic example of mythology is the story of how the artist was looking for a simulator for the image of Judas, and finding it, I realized that it was the same person who once posed for him as Jesus. Years of tough and unrighteous life as if disfigured by his once angelic face. The plot is entertaining, but completely unrealistic to the truth. The fact is that Leonardo da Vinci was taken to write "the secret evening", he took three years, he worked not very quickly, often making breaks waiting for inspiration. But even during this time, a young man of thirty-three years old (meaning a fitter) could not turn into an unpleasant appearance of an elderly man. Apparently, there is an attempt to give someone invented personally historical accuracy.

14. The picture has become the object of many parodies and imitation

Not only modern visual art and pop culture commemorated the "Last Supper". Already from the XVI century, paintings appeared, reproducing its new interpretations. Later, many artists were used later (Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Susan White, etc.), and Vic Munis even reproduced it from a chocolate syrup. Most of these parodies in the Vatican are considered blasphemous.

15. See this picture is not so easy

The "Last Supper" became one of the characters of Italy, but in this case the tourist popularity is not stimulated by the state. Small groups of visitors (20-25 people) are allowed to monastic meals (20-25 people) every 15 minutes. It is recommended to order tickets in advance, at least in two months. Tourists may not put into the monastery if they are dressed in an inappropriate way.

"Last Supper" Leonardo da VinciPerhaps it is included in the top 3 of the most mysterious and conflicting works of the famous Italian. The fresco is not essentially so. An experiment in three years long. The gracious field for speculation on the meaning of symbols and genuine personalities depicted. Unbearable challenge for restorers. All this is about one of the most famous works of art in the world.

Likha trouble Start: Who ordered Leonardo "The Last Supper"

In 1494, the duke of Milan became odious and ambitious Ludovico Sforza. Despite all ambitions and weaknesses, in one extent inherent in the extent, it must be said, almost every outstanding statesman, Lodoviko served a lot for his faith and achieved significant diplomatic success, having achieved peaceful relations with Florence, Venice and Rome.

He paid a lot of attention to the development of agriculture, industry, science and culture. From the painters he especially fagged Leonardo da Vinci. His brushes belongs to the portrait of Lovovico's mistress and mother of his son Cezchilia (Cecilia) Galelan, better known as the "Lady with Mornosta". Presumably, the painter perpetuated and the legitimate spouse of the Duke Beatrice D'EShe, as well as the second favorite and the mother of another illegitimate son Lucreta Krvelli.

The house of the Church of Lodovico was a chapel at the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie, and his abbot was a close friend of the duke. Milan's ruler became a sponsor of the large-scale reconstruction of the church, which was seen by the future Mausoleum and the monument of the Sforza dynasty. The vain plans were aggravated by the sudden death of Beatrice's wife and daughter Bianchi in 1497, two years after Leonardo began working on a "secret evening".

In 1495, when the painter received an order to select one of the walls of the meadow chapels with a nine-meter fresco with a popular Gospel plot, telling about the last meeting of Christ with the apostles, where he first revealed the sacrament of the Eucharist, no one could even suspect which long and difficult fate of her Wait.

Experimental art Leonardo da Vinci

Until that moment, Vinci did not have to work with frescoes. But could it be an obstacle for a person who chose an empirical one of all the methods of knowledge, and did not believe anyone for the word, preferring everything to check on his own experience? He acted according to the principle of "we are not looking for light paths," and in this case it remained faithful to him to the end.

Instead of using the old good technique of applying Tempers on fresh plaster (actually, and the gave the name of the fresco that occurred from the Italian Fresco - "Fresh"), Leonardo began experimenting. The subject of his experiments consistently became literally all the factors and stages involved in the creation of frescoes, ranging from the construction of scaffolding, for which he tried to invent his own mechanisms, and ending with plaster and paints.

Firstly, he categorically did not fit the method of work on the wet plaster, which grabbed pretty quickly and did not allow thoughtfully to work on each fragment and endlessly refining it, bringing to perfection, as usual writing his paintings by Leonardo da Vinci. Secondly, the traditional egg temperature did not give it the degree of brightness of the paint, since it somewhat tuck and changed the color when drying. And mixing pigments with oil made it possible to obtain more expressive and shiny paints. In addition, it was possible to reach different density of shades: from very thick and opaque to thin, luminous. This is how it is impossible to better fit the love of Da Vinci to the creation of filigree black and white effects and branded reception of SFUMATO.

But that's not all. In order to make an oil emulsion more adapted to the requirements of the wall painting, the painter decides to add an egg yolk into it, thus obtaining the unprecedented composition "Oil temperature". As time will show, in the long run, a bold experiment did not justify itself.

Case - time: a long history of creating a "secret evening"

According to the testimony of contemporaries, Da Vinci approached all aspects of writing a "secret evening" with such a thoroughness that it was delayed to infinity, and this is immensely annoyed the abbot of the monastery. Firstly, who will like the state of "chronic repairs" at the place of adoption of food with all the nuances arising from here (some sources mention a very unpleasant smell of the copyright of the plaster from Leonardo).

Secondly, a long process meant and the corresponding increase in the financial costs of painting, even more so that it worked on it a whole brigade. The volume of only preparatory work on the application of plaster, primer and swine-led coatings implies the involvement of all members of Leonardo studio.

The patience of the abbot gradually approached the end, and he complained to the duke to slowness and laziness of the artist. According to the legend, the vazari in his "lifeshops", yes Vinci in his justification responded to Lodovico, that he could not find a suitable flashing for the role of the Judah model. And that if the person of the required degree of disgusting never deemed, he "Can always take advantage of the head of this abbot, so annoying and indispensable".

There is another legend of the attendant, posing when writing Judah. So beautiful that if the situation is far from reality, it would be worth it. The artist as if he was looking for his Judas among the most garbage of society, and eventually stopped his selection on a last resurrection propoine from the waste ditch. The "model" barely kept on his feet and did little, but when the image of Judas was ready, the drunkard looked into the painting and said that he had already had to pose for her earlier.

It turned out that three years before these events, when he was a young and chaste singing in church choir, a certain painter noticed him and offered him the role of a simulator for the image of Christ. It turns out the same person in different periods of his life was a chance to visit both the embodiment of absolute purity and love and the prototype of the greatest fall and betrayal. Beautiful parable about the fragile borders between good and evil and how it is hard to climb up and easy to roll down.

Escaling Beauty: How many Leonardo remains in the "Last Evening"?

Despite all the efforts and experiments with the composition of paint, and Vinci still failed to produce a revolution in writing frescoes. It was usually implied that they were made in order to delight the eyes of many centuries, and the destruction of the colorful layer of the "Last Supper" began during the life of the painter. And in the middle of the XVI century Vazari mentioned that "Not visible nothing but the confusion of spots".

Numerous restorations and attempts to save the painting of the authorship of the legendary Italian only aggravated the loss. British art historian Kenneth Clark in the 30s of the last century explored the preparatory sketches and early copies of the "Secret Supper", made by artists who took the participation of its creation. He compared them with what remained from the frescoes, and his conclusions were disappointing: "Exaggerated griming persons, as if killed from the" terrible court "Michelangelo, belonged to the brushes of the mighty manarist of the XVI century".

The latter and largest restoration was completed in 1999. She took about two decades and demanded an investment of more than 20 billion lire. And no wonder: the restorers had the work of thinner jewelry: it was necessary to remove all layers of early restorations, while not damaged those crumbs that remained from the initial painting. The head of the restoration work recalled that the fresco was done so "As if she was a real disabled".

Despite the voices of critics about the fact that as a result of the "The Last Supper" lost the "spirit of the original", today she is still closer to what they saw the monastery of the Santa Maria delle Grazie monastery during the meadow. The main paradox lies in the fact that one of the most famous and recognizable works of art in the world contains only no more than 20 percent of the original.

In fact, now this is the embodiment of the collective interpretation of the plan of Leonardo da Vinci, obtained by painstaking research and analysis of all available information. But, as it often happens in the artistic world, the hard fate of the exhibit only adds to him glasses and values \u200b\u200b(remember the story with the abduction and acquisition of Davinciyevskaya Djokondov, which brought it into the absolute top of the mass.