Art Critique on The Last Supper

The painting by Leonardo Da Vinci shows Jesus’ farewell lunch with his disciples before
Judas betrays him and identifies him to the authorities. Between 1494 and 1498, this work was
crafted and is considered to be part of the “High Renaissance.” This historical period saw the
emergence of numerous new forms of creative expression as well as new techniques in current
forms of expression. Lighting and color were often tinkered with in order to convey a wide range
of emotions and heighten dramatic effect in many of these new methods.
Categorically, to create this work, Leonardo used an oil tempera medium that had just
been invented at the time. Like the tablecloth, the painting features a variety of textures. With a
lot of shadows and sorrowful hues like blue, white and gray employed in the artwork, the artist
conveyed a gloomy mood. The artist aimed to create an environment in which viewers could
sense Jesus’ divinity and the holiness of the place (Kadhim & Obaid 11). To give the illusion of
spaciousness, this painting employs a variety of geometric forms, such as the square and
rectangle, which represent the building’s sections. The lines were utilized to generate depth and
volume in the painting’s rear and to create space and depth in the painting’s back. Using the
illusion of texture, the painting’s figures’ garments and the walls and tablecloth are decorated
(Farazmand et al. 324). Ultimately, the painting presents a gloomy chamber with a lot of
shadows, and the artist utilized a dark value for the lighting in the piece.

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In conclusion, instead of depicting the situation, Leonardo da Vinci’s artwork depicts it in
such detail that it surpasses any previous depiction. Leonardo depicted the Apostles’ reactions to
the news that one of them will betray Jesus with a portrait-like quality in each face. Using linear
perspective, Leonardo created the sense of depth on a flat scene by employing parallel lines that
meet at a single vanishing point to generate depth. Christ serves as both the compositional and
psychological center of gravity in this picture. Christ, in contrast to his followers, maintains a
serene demeanor. A halo of light is cast on Christ’s head by the central window at the back of the
structure.

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Works Cited

Farazmand, Farnaz, Amir Nasri, and Mohammadreza Sharifzadeh. “Beauty in the Form of
Quantitative Criteria in Da Vinci’s Last Supper Painting with the Approach of Umberto
Eco’s Theories.” Islamic Art Studies 18.42 (2021): 313-326.
Kadhim Al-Ghazali, Ahmed Obaid. “Narrative Structure Transformations of the Last Supper
Painting in Graphic Design.” International Journal of Early Childhood Special
Education 13.2 (2021).