Thank you for your marvelous commentary! I have always thought of the very feminine character at Jesus’ right to be Mary Magdeline and wondered how the Church could miss something so obvious . I still prefer thinking it is Mary Magdeline! Thank you!
I was editor to a religious magazine for years and when I had written an article about ‘Jesus and Mary Magdalen’ we chose a picture to accompany it with Jesus and, apparently, a woman at his side, dressed in blue. Only when the magazine was printed we saw it: the hue of beard growth on the face of that supposed woman. It was the beloved apostle, John.
Thank you! That verifies for me that it, in fact, is John! I’m a tough nut to crack, and you just did so! I truly appreciate the truth and I thank you!
Thank you very much for this detailed explanation of the painting. And for these subtle signs: the finger, the knife, the tipped salt, the ugly face ...
Genuinely interesting and very well researched! :) While studying Medici patronage in Florence, I learned how often patrons and other contemporary figures found their way into religious paintings. It made me wonder: do we know whether any of the figures in The Last Supper were modeled on members of the Sforza court?
Thank you for this detailed explanation, it's incredible how much knowledge is packed into this post, especially the bits about Peter, Judas, the salt, and the linear perspective.
This is so fascinating! In the Seder meal, salt is used to make salt water for dipping a green vegetable (karpas); the salt water represents the tears of the Israelites enslaved in Egypt while the green plant represents the new life and hope of the Promised Land. I don’t think this painting depicts a Jewish Seder meal per se (the bread is leavened in the painting) but I wonder if that could be one of the connotations of the salt shaker as well, that in placing the salt shaker in front of Judas, da Vinci might be linking Judas’s betrayal with both the tearful exile of the crucifixion and the hope of the Promised Land in the resurrection.
That’s an extremely well written piece. The beauty of the artwork is incredible. And the way you detail the sections of 33133. But I think it’s the one that has me most intrigued. Having been raised Catholic and suffered the consequences of the Catholic Church in the 60s, I am the one. The one left holding the guilt from this Catholic religion.
Such an interesting essay! I especially loved the little meditation at the end. . . whatever Da Vinci's personal faith may have been, he still created a piece that points to grace and I think there's something really beautiful in that.
Fascinating piece. I was under the impression da Vinci’s painting faded away to the point that actually added a door where it was. Thye asked another painter to restore the original, bu it was so faded he essentially started from scratch. Urban myth? Thanks for your writing!
Thank you for your marvelous commentary! I have always thought of the very feminine character at Jesus’ right to be Mary Magdeline and wondered how the Church could miss something so obvious . I still prefer thinking it is Mary Magdeline! Thank you!
I was editor to a religious magazine for years and when I had written an article about ‘Jesus and Mary Magdalen’ we chose a picture to accompany it with Jesus and, apparently, a woman at his side, dressed in blue. Only when the magazine was printed we saw it: the hue of beard growth on the face of that supposed woman. It was the beloved apostle, John.
Great anecdote! Really appreciate the turn out of the story
Thank you! That verifies for me that it, in fact, is John! I’m a tough nut to crack, and you just did so! I truly appreciate the truth and I thank you!
Yeah that’s exactly what it did to me
Thank you for this thoughtful commentary. I enjoy to start my day with content such as this!
Fantastic commentary! Ate it up!
Thank you very much for this detailed explanation of the painting. And for these subtle signs: the finger, the knife, the tipped salt, the ugly face ...
Very interesting article. Da Vinci was undoubtedly one of the greatest all-rounders we know of.
Genuinely interesting and very well researched! :) While studying Medici patronage in Florence, I learned how often patrons and other contemporary figures found their way into religious paintings. It made me wonder: do we know whether any of the figures in The Last Supper were modeled on members of the Sforza court?
Thank you for this detailed explanation, it's incredible how much knowledge is packed into this post, especially the bits about Peter, Judas, the salt, and the linear perspective.
What about the perspective that the disciples represent the zodiacal signs. Jesus being the sun on the equinox hence why he’s in the middle
Brilliant analysis.
Very uplifting.
Thank you so much for your work.
This is so fascinating! In the Seder meal, salt is used to make salt water for dipping a green vegetable (karpas); the salt water represents the tears of the Israelites enslaved in Egypt while the green plant represents the new life and hope of the Promised Land. I don’t think this painting depicts a Jewish Seder meal per se (the bread is leavened in the painting) but I wonder if that could be one of the connotations of the salt shaker as well, that in placing the salt shaker in front of Judas, da Vinci might be linking Judas’s betrayal with both the tearful exile of the crucifixion and the hope of the Promised Land in the resurrection.
That’s an extremely well written piece. The beauty of the artwork is incredible. And the way you detail the sections of 33133. But I think it’s the one that has me most intrigued. Having been raised Catholic and suffered the consequences of the Catholic Church in the 60s, I am the one. The one left holding the guilt from this Catholic religion.
Such an interesting essay! I especially loved the little meditation at the end. . . whatever Da Vinci's personal faith may have been, he still created a piece that points to grace and I think there's something really beautiful in that.
Fascinating piece. I was under the impression da Vinci’s painting faded away to the point that actually added a door where it was. Thye asked another painter to restore the original, bu it was so faded he essentially started from scratch. Urban myth? Thanks for your writing!
Very insightful. I have one somewhat rhetorical question. If they were just having bread and wine- why did they need salt?
It was the Passover meal.