Blindsided

L'Ultima Cena - Leonardo DaVinci

While in Milan, I was able to view the famous 15th century fresco of The Last Supper by Leonardo DaVinci at Santa Maria delle Grazie. The work displays DaVinci's brilliance through its use of one-point perspective to portray the scene logically regressing into space. The incredulous, somewhat frantic expressions within this familiar scene are said to capture the exact moment after Jesus announces that one of his Twelve Apostles will betray him. As seen through the rippling wave of reaction down the table, the apostles were entirely blindsided by these accusatory words of Christ and you can see clearly their emotional response in gesture and facial expression...

Though many restoration projects and techniques have been performed, this work remains in terrible condition. Literally disintegrating in front of our eyes, DaVinci's "fresco secco" was unfortunately an ineffective technique. Painting directly on dry cement as opposed to wet, the technique used on this particular work, created a weak bond for the paint and therefore allowed for much damage to occur over the numerous years of turbulence in Milan's history. Appointments to view this holy scene must be booked weeks in advance and visitors are only allowed to stay in the room with the fresco for ten or fifteen minutes.

While in Milan, we also visited the Brera Gallery where we viewed an array of magnificent paintings by Italian masters such as Mantega, Raphael, and Piero della Francesco. The work of Mantegna entitled "Lamentation Over Christ" proved the most dramatic in its extreme foreshortening of the dead body of Christ and was effective in capturing of the tragic moment of mourning after the Crucifixion.

I feel very lucky to have been able to set eyes on DaVinci's disappearing masterpiece. Seeing it in real life was spectacular. Just look closely...before we all lose the chance.