The Last Supper Essay Example For Students

The Last Supper Essay The Last Supper Dear Sarah, I know you missed class last week, but I would love to explain one of the important pieces of art we went over, The Last Supper, painted from 1495 to 1498. That day, we went over the history that led up to period of Modern Art. As Leonardo dad Vinci painted this huge piece of art, 15 by 29 feet, he had purpose and meaning into every detail, which I will explain to you. The subject around Leonardo dad Vines The Last Supper is based on the last meal Christ had with his twelve disciples before one of them betrays Jesus. We will write a custom essay on The Last Supper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Judas is the one that betrays Christ that leads to His death on the cross and Resurrection. This meal is also known as the Passover meal where Jesus broke the bread and drank the wine as remembrance of his body and blood that He sacrificed for all mankind. In the Bible (Matthew 26), Jesus says that the one who will betray Him is, He that tippets his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. In the painting it displays Judas left hand and Jesus right hand reaching for the food. The Last Supper clearly displays classicism within its details. The biggest thing hat Leonardo dad Vinci displays in this art piece is Neo-Platonism. This idea or truth has God in the center of all things. It can be displayed as a triangle, which stands for the Trinity, and gives a sense of stability. In The Last Supper, we can see that Leonardo has Jesus in the center of everything, which you will see in the later descriptions. First sign of neoclassicism is the triangles that make up Jesus and next Him. The head of Christ makes the top of the triangle his hands make the bottom two corners. This is so important, since the triangle is upright. When a triangle is upright, it gives the meaning of stability. Therefore, where Christ is the center, there is stability. However, there is an upside down triangle next to Jesus. This is the sign of instability. I believe this is on that side of Jesus, because Judas is also on that side. We can tell that Judas is on this side, because one, both him and Jesus are both reaching for the food, and that is described in the Bible. Also in the Bible (Matthew 26:1 5) it says that Judas was given thirty pieces of silver to betray the Christ, and in Judas right hand it kooks like he is holding a sack of coins. Lastly, Leonardo dad Vinci painted Judas face different than all the others. His face is kind of blurred and is shaped oddly, which is unlike all the others. There are a lot of evidences of classicism in this painting. In this picture, Jesus is the focal point. One sign of classicism is in the lines and symmetry. All of the lines in the ceiling and walls all lead to the head of Jesus. The three windows in the background are symbolizing the Trinity, and the biggest one is framing Christ. This also makes Jesus stand out even more. Also everyone is either pointing to Jesus or are looking at Him. The bread and meal plates are all evenly spaced, which is the sign of classicism. Another sign of classicism in this painting, the colors are very complimentary. Jesus is especially bright in His red and blue. Leonardo did this on purpose, because he wanted to make Jesus stand out the most. This is why he chose red, the color that stands out the most in paintings. The last sign of classicism is the balance. On each side of Jesus, there are two sets of three disciples. .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7 , .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7 .postImageUrl , .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7 , .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7:hover , .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7:visited , .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7:active { border:0!important; } .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7:active , .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7 .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u37f2eac59f3fb1d3100f0bce14e093e7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Leonardo and the Mona Lisa EssayThe three disciples is a sign of the Trinity and the four groups is also a symbol of Plats four virtues. In conclusion, The Last Supper is a huge symbol of classicism and Neo-Platonism. Leonardo dad Vinci had many meanings behind each and every detail, from the placement of the bread, to lines on the ceiling. I hope this helps you out a lot. There is a lot of information in Just this little paper. See you next week, Leonardo Last Supper. Smart History. Khan Academy, n. D. Web. 18 Jan. 2013. Http://consistory. Schenectady. Org/Leonardo-last-supper. HTML The Last Supper Essay Example For Students The Last Supper Essay The Last Supper was a very powerful Biblical event, in which Jesus and his disciples gathered for one final dinner together. According to the Bible, important events took place during the Last Supper, including an announcement by Jesus that one of his disciples would betray him and the first communion. To artists in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, it was necessary to give proper deference to such notable occurrences. Both Leonardo da Vinci and Jacopo Robusti, known as Tintoretto, took upon the challenge of recreating the Last Supper. While Last Supper by da Vinci and Last Supper by Tintoretto are very similar in subject matter, they differ in composition, symbolism, and the choice of narrative moment. The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci is the first great figure composition of the High Renaissance and the definitive interpretation of its theme. Jesus and his twelve disciples are seated at a long table that is parallel to the picture plane. The room is spacious and peaceful, and Christ has his arms spread in disposed trust . We will write a custom essay on The Last Supper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The rest of the group is in intense and dramatic excitement, with their hands out in shock and question at Jesus words. The viewer can just feel the tense excitement sweeping through the groups of disciples. Jesus, the most important figure in the painting, has been placed in front of three windows that are in the back of the room, and he is framed by the center window with a curved pediment that arches above his head. His head serves as the focal and vanishing point of this piece, and your eye is immediately attracted to it. Da Vinci has arranged the disciples into groups of three and tied all the groups together through their hand motions giving this piece a symmetrically aesthetic feeling. Your eye is taken on a journey through the oval-shaped composition of the piece, but it is clear that Jesus serves as the vital magnet. The Last Supper by Tintoretto is a beautiful Mannerist-style painting in which the painter creates a revolutionary type of composition. The pieces surface plane now shoots in a diagonal motion and Jesus is noticeable only because of the light around his head. There is a feeling of unsure commotion throughout the figures as they lean into uncomfortable positions, such as the maid in the foreground. The figures also seem to blossom in light through a darkness of the background. The two brightest areas, Jesus and the light fixture, fight for the viewers attention and create a sense of uncertainty, perfecting what the Mannerists set out to accomplish. The use of symbolism in both Da Vincis and Tintorettos Last Supper is important to the interpretation of each piece. Da Vinci is the first known artist to place Judas, the disciple who betrays Jesus, on the same side of the table as Christ. This subtly symbolizes the trust that Jesus shared with his followers, and it is more realistic. By placing Christ in the center, as the focal point, with orthagonals leading towards him, Da Vinci creates a 3-D/pyramid effect with Christ that shows his still and stable calmness and poise amongst the distraught group. He also places Jesus inside the second window, symbolizing Jesus position as Christ, the son in the Christian trinity. The group of twelve is split into groups of threes, symbolizing the trinity, and supporting the symmetry. Tintorettos Last Supper uses symbolism very differently. He places genre figures throughout the painting, such as the waitresses, to ground the viewer in reality. This may act as his way of making the piece more realistic or closer to personal experience and therefore, more comfortable. Yet, he also places angels flying into the room, throwing off this grounded feeling but giving a nice balance of both heaven and Earth. .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93 , .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93 .postImageUrl , .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93 , .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93:hover , .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93:visited , .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93:active { border:0!important; } .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93:active , .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93 .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4405d789cdd18202265cffa6ec927d93:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Often Times People Tend To Look At A Work Of Art And Only See A Picture EssayThese two accomplished artists, Da Vinci from the High Renaissance Period, and Tintoretto from the time of Mannerism, decided to paint the same event, but chose different narrative moments, exemplifying each of their purposes. Leonardo da Vinci chose to illustrate the moment in which Jesus proclaims that one of his disciples shall betray him, creating a sense of shock and question. Each of the followers of Jesus embrace fear, doubt, protestation, rage, and love in a beautiful symmetry. Tintoretto, on the other hand, chooses to use a different scene of the same event, the first communion. Although the painting is very expressive and exciting, the subject is of a joyous festival that continues on in many Christian churches today. He chooses not to work with a scene of betrayal and dishonesty, but instead a time of great miracle. Leonardo da Vincis goal of painting not only the man, but the intention of his soul is shown in his Last Supper; one can almost see John the Baptist in shocking contemplation after hearing such news. The painter withholds the High Renaissance aesthetics of symmetry and stability, while creating a stirring of emotion inside of the viewer through composition, symbolism, and narrative subject. Tintoretto is a true Mannerist. He decided upon a different scene and brought it alive with colors, composition, and movement. His fascination with color is revealed, while he creates uncertain emotions in the viewer through symbols, lights, and shadows. Both of these artists exemplify not only their times, but also their incredible ability to manipulate art to express their purpose.