• Leonardo Da Vinci's "Last Supper" is one of the most famous — and consistently endangered — paintings in history.
• Don't take Dan Brown's popular novels too seriously — the Renaissance artwork doesn't really include secret codes or cryptic symbols.
• But Da Vinci's piece does include a number of surprises, from the meals on the table to the gestures the Apostles are flashing.
Millions of people around the world are preparing to celebrate Easter.
Easter is the celebration of Jesus' resurrection, and one of the most famous images from that story is Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper." It's an iconic Renaissance masterpiece that's been praised, studied, and copied for over 500 years.
Against all odds, the painting still lingers on the wall of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.
Da Vinci began the work in 1495 or 1496 and completed it around 1498. It depicts a famous scene from Holy Thursday, in which Jesus and his Apostles sharing a final meal before his death and resurrection. During the dinner, Jesus revealed that one of his disciples would betray him and hand him over to the authorities for execution (spoiler alert: It was Judas, who da Vinci depicts as spilling salt on the table, as part of some Renaissance pun).
Historian and author Ross King spoke with Business Insider about the mural. King said that his own lifelong fascination with da Vinci — who, as a painter, sculptor, inventor, and scientist, was really the ultimate Renaissance man — prompted him to write the book "Leonardo and the Last Supper."
"I was intrigued by him as a character — an artist, a scientist, a mountain climber, a rock collector, an all-around genius," he said.
Here's the story of "The Last Supper," which survived wars, prisoners, and its artist's identity crisis:
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"The Last Supper" was hugely popular in its own time.
While today da Vinci is remembered for the breadth of his artwork, writings, and inventions, "The Last Supper" was the painting that truly cemented his reputation during his own time. King said that the image immediately became famous all over Europe.
"It was the most copied painting of the next century — not only in paint, but also in marble, wax and terracotta," King said. "Everyone wanted a version of it. Leonardo had finally created the 'work of fame' about which he dreamed."
The painting's drama is heightened by its composition and details.
The painting captures the Apostles' reaction to Jesus' famous declaration: "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
"Leonardo does justice to the episode like no one else," King said. "He grouped his 13 figures together on the same plane — a very difficult task — in such a way that each is individuated by gestures and expressions but none detracts from the overall effect."
Each figure is unique and memorable, down to the smallest details.
"Never before had an artist created such drama in a painting, with such lifelike figures and minute detail," he said. "Regarding detail, the right hand of Christ is a tour de force. Two joints of the little finger and the ball of his third fingers are seen through the transparency of a wine glass. It's an absolutely dazzling display of skill."
It's a miracle the painting has survived.
So, why is this 15th century mural still so celebrated today?
"One reason it's so famous is because its survival is something of a miracle," King said. "It's the art world's most famous endangered species. A century ago it was almost given up for lost. After its most recent restoration — something of a miracle in itself — we can appreciate its beauty. Because it is still, despite the losses, an amazingly beautiful painting."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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