15 Fascinating Facts About Leonardo Da Vinci's ‘The Last Supper’

Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper stands as one of the most revered, analyzed, and replicated artworks in history. Yet, despite its fame, there are intriguing details about it that many people overlook.

1. The Last Supper is far larger than most people imagine.

While countless reproductions exist in various sizes, the original masterpiece measures approximately 15 feet by 29 feet.

2. The artwork captures a pivotal moment in time.

While many recognize the painting as Jesus’s final meal with his apostles before his arrest and crucifixion, Leonardo da Vinci specifically aimed to depict the moment immediately after Jesus announces that one of his followers will betray him. The apostles’ reactions—ranging from shock to anger—are vividly portrayed. Leonardo also situates this scene just before the institution of the Eucharist, with Jesus reaching for the bread and wine, symbols central to this Christian ritual.

3. The authentic The Last Supper isn’t housed in a museum.

Despite being one of the most famous paintings globally, the original The Last Supper resides in a convent in Milan, Italy. Relocating it would be nearly impossible, as Leonardo painted it directly onto the dining hall wall of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in 1495. (However, replicas can be viewed in museums.)

4. Despite being painted on a wall, The Last Supper is not a fresco.

Frescoes are typically painted on wet plaster, but Leonardo da Vinci chose to abandon this traditional method for several reasons. He sought a level of brilliance and luminosity that fresco techniques couldn’t achieve. Additionally, he disliked the time constraints imposed by fresco painting, which required artists to complete their work before the plaster dried.

5. Leonardo da Vinci pioneered a groundbreaking technique for his masterpiece.

To allow himself the time needed to perfect every detail, da Vinci developed his own unique method, applying tempera paints onto stone. He prepared the wall with a special primer designed to absorb the tempera and shield the painting from moisture.

6. The painting has suffered significant damage over the centuries.

Despite its revered status, Leonardo’s tempera-on-stone technique proved unsuccessful. By the early 1500s, the paint began to flake and deteriorate, and within 50 years, The Last Supper was a shadow of its former self. Early restoration efforts only exacerbated the damage.

The artwork faced further hardships: In 1652, a doorway was cut into the wall, removing a central section of the painting, including Jesus’ feet. Later, according to The Washington Post, “a well-meaning painter cleaned it with harsh chemicals, and Napoleon’s troops used the hall as a stable and armory” (soldiers reportedly threw bricks at the painting). The vibrations from Allied bombings during World War II also took a toll, with one bomb landing just 80 feet away.

7. Only a fraction of Leonardo da Vinci’s original brushstrokes survive today.

A 19-year restoration project began in 1980 to salvage the artwork. While The Last Supper was eventually restored, much of its original paint was lost in the process.

8. Leonardo used a hammer and nail to master one-point perspective.

The captivating perspective of The Last Supper, which draws viewers into the dramatic scene, was achieved through a clever technique. Leonardo hammered a nail into the wall and used strings tied to it as guides to create the precise angles and vanishing points in the painting.

9. The depiction of Judas in The Last Supper might have been inspired by an actual criminal.

Each apostle’s appearance is believed to have been modeled after a real person. For Judas, the betrayer (fifth from the left, clutching a bag of silver), Leonardo reportedly scoured the jails of Milan to find a face that matched the character’s treacherous nature.

10. The painting may contain a hidden biblical reference.

To Jesus’s right, Thomas is depicted in profile, his finger raised skyward. Some theorize that this gesture highlights Thomas’s finger, which plays a crucial role in a later biblical event. After Jesus’s resurrection, Thomas doubts and is invited to touch Jesus’s wounds with his finger to confirm his faith.

11. The symbolism of the food in the painting is a topic of debate.

The spilled salt near Judas has been interpreted as a symbol of his betrayal or as a sign of his misfortune in being chosen to betray Jesus. The fish on the table also carries conflicting meanings: If it’s an eel, it may symbolize faith and devotion to Jesus. However, if it’s a herring, it could represent a skeptic who rejects religious belief.

12. The Last Supper has sparked some extraordinary theories.

In The Templar Revelation, Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince argue that the figure to Jesus’s left is not John but Mary Magdalene. They suggest that The Last Supper is pivotal evidence of a Roman Catholic Church conspiracy to conceal the true nature of Christ.

Musicians have theorized that The Last Supper conceals a hidden musical score. In 2007, Italian musician Giovanni Maria Pala composed 40 seconds of a melancholic melody based on notes he believed were encoded within Leonardo’s intricate composition.

In 2010, Vatican researcher Sabrina Sforza Galitzia interpreted the painting’s “mathematical and astrological” symbols as a prophecy from Leonardo da Vinci about a global apocalypse. She asserts that The Last Supper foretells a catastrophic flood set to occur between March 21 and November 1, 4006.

13. The Last Supper has also influenced popular fiction.

Beyond The Da Vinci Code, a widely circulated myth claims that Leonardo spent years searching for the perfect model for Judas, only to discover it was the same man who had once posed as Jesus. Allegedly, years of sin had transformed his once-angelic face. While this tale is captivating, it’s completely untrue.

How do we know this story is false? For starters, Leonardo reportedly took about three years to complete The Last Supper, largely due to his tendency to procrastinate. Additionally, tales of moral decay affecting physical appearance have existed for centuries. It’s probable that someone attached this narrative to the painting to lend its moral lesson a sense of historical authenticity.

14. It has inspired countless imitations over the centuries.

Both fine art and pop culture have celebrated The Last Supper through a variety of tributes and parodies. These include a 16th-century oil painting replica and modern reinterpretations by Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, Susan Dorothea White, and Vik Muniz, who crafted his version using chocolate syrup.

The iconic scene from The Last Supper has been recreated in films like Mel Brooks’s comedy History of the World, Part 1, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice, and Luis Buñuel’s Viridiana, which the Vatican condemned as “blasphemous.” It has also featured in The Da Vinci Code, Futurama, and even a 2023 Saturday Night Live sketch (pictured above).

15. Planning to see The Last Supper in person? Book your tickets well ahead of time.

While The Last Supper is a must-visit attraction in Italy, the convent housing it wasn’t designed for large crowds. Only 20 to 25 visitors are allowed in at a time, with 15-minute viewing slots. It’s advised to book tickets at least two months in advance. Additionally, visitors should dress modestly, as the convent may deny entry to those in inappropriate attire.