Da Vinci Paints "The Last Supper"

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was the archetypal Renaissance polymath, renowned as a painter, scientist, engineer, and anatomist. Among his most celebrated achievements is The Last Supper, a large mural he created on a wall of the refectory of the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, completing it around 1498 after several years of work.

The painting depicts the moment at which Christ announces that one of the twelve apostles will betray him, capturing the varied reactions of shock, denial, and dismay among the figures gathered at the table. Leonardo's careful composition, use of perspective converging on Christ, and psychological characterization made it a landmark of High Renaissance art.

Rather than using durable fresco technique, Leonardo experimented with paint applied to dry plaster, a method that caused the work to deteriorate within his own lifetime. Despite centuries of damage and repeated restoration, The Last Supper remains one of the most studied and influential images in the history of Western painting.