The Last Supper Painting Explained – History, Meaning, Artist & Location

The Last Supper is one of Leonardo da Vinci’s most brilliant paintings. It perfectly captures the religious and crucial Biblical scene. 

The painting is in the Santa Maria delle Grazie Church, Milan, attracting over 400,000 pilgrims yearly.

In this article, we’ll discuss the painting in detail, covering its history, art techniques, worth, rules, and dress code to follow when exploring, and much more! 

Who painted the Last Supper?

The Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci painted the Last Supper, whose talents also lay in many diverse fields, including architecture, science, theory, and more!

He was born on 15th April 1452, and not much is known about his early childhood until he moved to apprentice under Andrea del Verocchio when he was 14 years old. 

Because of his varied talents and great professors, Leonardo painted marvels like The Mona Lisa and the Last Supper in the 16th century.

These famous art pieces are proof of his brilliance and deep knowledge in creating simple but captivating compositions while using bright colors and unique perspectives!

To learn more about the brilliant artistic techniques used in this painting, read further!

Describing the Final Breaking of the Bread Painting

The Last Supper is an important painting, especially to all pilgrims, as it depicts Jesus’ last meal with his Apostles before his crucifixion.

The painting is massive in size, measuring 460 cm x 880 cm, covering the entire wall!  

It is a simple painting, with Jesus as the central figure, who attracts the eyes of all visitors, as he is in the middle of the wall. 

Around him are twelve of his Apostles, namely Bartholomew, Andrew, James, Peter, Thomas, John, Philip, Judas, Judas of Thaddeus, Simeon, and James, the son of Alpheus. 

You will notice that Jesus is depicted as a very calm figure, while his Apostles’ faces show emotions of shock, anger, and confusion.

These emotions match the news of Jesus getting betrayed, and you can see Judas hide himself as they all discuss the matter. 

On the left side of Jesus is John, who is shown conversing with Peter, and Judas, who will betray Jesus.

To the direct right side of Jesus are Thomas, Judas of Thaddeus, Matthew, Simon, Philip, and  James. 

Behind the table are three large windows, and the table is full of food items, including bread, fish, wine, fruits, and other items. 

Do you wonder what this marvelous painting is based on? Read the next section to know more about the Biblical backstory so you can visit without a professional guide!  

Judas Betrays Jesus: The Biblical Backstory

The story begins in Jerusalem during the festival of Passover, when Jesus predicts and tells his Apostles that one of them will betray him. 

This news shocks the Apostles, as they never thought of such a possible incident happening.

However, the Bible shows that Judas had already conspired with the Chief Priests and agreed to tell them his location when he was away from the crowds for thirty pieces of silver.

The event is forgotten, and the conversation only continues at the last meal when Jesus tells his Apostles that someone is about to betray him again. 

He announces that this person will dip his hands in the bowl with Jesus. 

The painting captures the scene exactly, as you see Judas dipping one hand in the bowl while his other holds a small pouch filled with coins. 

If you look closely, you can also see Judas spilling over a bottle of salt, which is considered to be a bad omen. 

Even though the pilgrims’ main focus is on this event, they forget that the painting also depicts a scene of the Holy Sacrament of Communion.

Jesus breaks the bread and compares this to his body, and the wine he compares to his blood, which he will sacrifice during crucifixion for the sins of humankind. 

Even though the painting captures one of the most tense moments in the Bible, it also paves the way to redemption and forgiveness!

This backstory of the painting is why it is so popular among visitors traveling to Italy. 

Where is the Last Supper Painting?

If you want to see this painting on your next trip, you will find it on display at the Santa Maria delle Grazie Church in Milan, Italy.

It is on the wall of the Refectory, which was previously a part of the dining hall in the Dominican Convent. 

The Church is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the room is renovated and open for visitors to see the marvelous painting! 

Read Directions to Last Supper to know the best way on how you can reach Santa Maria delle Grazie and visit this famous painting.

The Last Supper Tickets 

Even though the painting of the final meal is inside a Church, you will have to pay to enter the Refectory where it is on display.

However, you can explore other parts of the Santa Maria delle Grazie for free!

The Last Supper Guided Tour with skip-the-line entry access and a walking tour of Milan costs €90 for adults 99 years and below. 

The tour is an excellent option as you will see details and hidden Easter eggs of the painting that you would miss if you went for a visit without doing any in-depth research.

Since visitors can spend only 15 minutes in the Refectory, you won’t have time to observe much unless you’re on a guided tour with all the information readily available! 

Read our detailed guide on Rules and Regulations for Visiting Last Supper.

The Last Supper Opening Hours & Best Visiting Days

Santa Maria delle Grazie Church is open throughout the day; however, you can see the painting only between 8.15 am and 7 pm from Tuesdays to Saturdays.

It is open to visit from 2 pm to 7 pm on Sundays. 

The last entry time for visitors is at 6.45 pm from Tuesdays to Sundays. 

Every visitor can only spend 15 minutes inside the Refectory and another 15 minutes in the dehumidifying room before entering the Refectory. 

The Chuch is closed on all Mondays, 1st January, and 25th December.

If you want to attend mass here, the timings for weekdays are 7.30 am, 8.30 am, 9.30 am, and 6.30 pm. 

On Sundays and other public holidays, masses at Santa Maria delle Grazie are at 8 am, 9.30 am, 10.30 am, 11.30 am, 6.30 pm, and 8 pm. 

It is best to visit the painting from Wednesdays to Fridays in the morning time for the least wait time. 

The best months to explore Milan are April and May, as the tourist crowd is less, and you can also enjoy strolling for longer in the pleasant weather!

The painting receives the most visitors from June to August. 

Read Last Supper Hours for more information.

Last Supper Dress Code & Rules for Visiting

Visitors must follow a strict dress code since the painting is inside a Church.

Men and women must ensure their shoulders and knees are covered, and they avoid clothes with deep necklines and those that expose their midriff.

We also recommend covering up all tattoos and avoiding clothes with inappropriate language or symbols.  

One of the most important rules when visiting the painting is to avoid clicking pictures of the piece with your camera flash on.

The flash can cause damage to the painting since it is not a fresco, and you might have to pay a fine for this action.

Visitors cannot carry large bags, sharp objects, food, water, wet umbrellas, and raincoats inside the Refectory.

Only small groups of 25 visitors can enter the Refectory for 15 minutes at once.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Artistic Techniques Used in the Painting

Against most belief, the Last Supper painting is a mural painted directly on the wall and is not a fresco painting. 

Frescos are usually painted directly onto wet plaster, but this painting was done by applying tempera-based paint on dry stone walls. 

The tempera paint combines egg whites and pigments as the main ingredients to create a strong paint that is visible even after so many years!

He added an undercoat of white lead paint to make each color vibrant enough to avoid applying too many layers. 

This technique gave Leonardo enough time to capture minute details and add shading as he liked, unlike painters like Michelangelo, who had to rush while painting the Sistine Chapel. 

Since Leonardo had unlimited drying and painting time, he could capture a life-like depiction of all figures with many facial expressions!

Ever wonder why your eyes are drawn to the center when seeing the painting?

Leonardo da Vinci hammered a nail at the center of the painting to create a one-point perspective from all angles of the painting.

He did this by attaching threads from the nail at the center in all directions to form a perfect grid!

Researchers also believe that Leonardo used the Chiaroscuro technique to display a perfect blend of shades of color.

He also played around with light and shadow to give each person and item in the painting depth, which makes it appear so realistic! 

History & Restorations

The painting was made between 1495 and 1498, but Leonardo took multiple breaks during the process.

It is known to have three replicas painted by Giampetro, Cesare de Sesto, and Andrea Solari, who were the students of Leonardo da Vinci.

These paintings are at London’s Academy of Royal Arts, Switzerland Church St. Ambrogio, and Belgium’s Leonardo da Vinci Museum. 

The painting has had to undergo many restoration projects in its lifetime, mainly because it was painted on a thin exterior wall.

The wall was already in bad condition because of the humidity, and it also had to endure the Refectory turning into a stable under Napoleon and the wrath of a bomb during WWII!

Some parts of the painting were repainted by Michelangelo Bellotti in 1726 and Giuseppe Mazza in 1770.

Later, Stefano Barezzi tried to move the painting by scraping it off the wall in 1821 and damaged the center, which was later fixed with glue. 

Besides these repaintings, one of the major restorations was done between 1978 and 1999 by Pinin Brambilla Barcilon.

This project involved cleaning and restoration of most of the painting and setting up many devices to create an environment-controlled room.

The completely rubbed-off parts were reapplied again using watercolor paints and took 21 years to complete! 

Controversies Behind the Painting

One of the most interesting controversies of the painting is the appearance of Saint John, who is directly on the left side of Jesus.

Visitors believe that the person depicted is not the Saint, but Mary Magdalene since the figure resembles a woman’s appearance.

However, this was proved false as St John was painted as having long hair and bright glowing skin, which was common for men of the Renaissance period. 

Another controversy is the portrait of Judas, which researchers believe resembles the look of a convicted criminal.

It is said that Leonardo went searching prisons to find a prisoner to get inspiration to paint Judas’ face!

The Last Supper Facts

Want to know more? Here are some exciting facts about the painting to show off your knowledge to your friends and family while visiting!

• The number three has a deep religious meaning in the painting and is repeated in the depiction. 
• St. Judas of Thaddus is believed to be a portrait of Leonardo da Vinci!
• Very few brushstrokes in the painting today belong to Leonardo since it is so old.
• The painting has been depicted in many famous TV shows, books, movies, and other entertainment platforms. 
• The Refectory of the painting was used as a horse stable by Napoleon’s soldiers.
• Opposite the painting is an HD photograph of Giovanni Donato de Montorfano’s Crucifixion depiction. 

Check out our Last Supper Facts article to learn more exciting facts! 

FAQs on The Last Supper Painting