Sharron Connelly's rendition of Leonardo's Last Supper brings into view details of the mural that have been eradicated by the ravages of time. Through her research and by studying many prints of the original, drawings and writing from his notebooks, she has made many amazing discoveries.
It must be known that Leonardo da Vinci was one of the world's greatest egotists! His single purpose in life was to immortalize himself, as did the other artists of the Renaissance, imitating the philosophy of the Greeks and Romans. They immortalized themselves by capturing their own images in their art so their images would remain after their death. Leonardo, becoming obsessed with the quest for immortality, ground large mirrors so he could reflect his own image into his art.
As he did in a myriad of his paintings, Leonardo captured his image in the figures of the Last Supper. Although the figures represent the apostles and Christ, Leonardo was the model for all of them at different ages, beards and disguises. His resemblance can be recognized in the Last Supper drawings in the Windsor Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, Elizabeth II.
The most controversial image in the painting today is the effeminate figure on the right hand of Christ. Dan Brown incorrectly identified it as Mary Magdalene! Having usurped this idea from the authors of Holy Blood Holy Grail, Dan based his book, the Da Vinc Code the mistaken identity of this figure. The painting has nothing to do with Mary Magdalene and Leonardo da Vinci....had nothing to do with the Da Vinci Code!
Although the figure in the Last Supper appears to be a woman, it is the mirror image of Leonardo's young face captured when he posed before his great mirror as the Virgin in the Madonna of the Rocks, Louvre version. Compare the two figures and you will clearly see for yourself that both had the same model.
Leonardo not only captured his image in the figures of the Last Supper, he imbued his initials into the entire composition. He created one-point perspective to make the room to appear to go back into space and painted a frieze on each side wall to lead your eye into the painting. The two main crossed lines merge in the middle to a central point ending on the right cheek of Christ. This also focuses all of the attention on him as the central figure. These crossed lines create a giant X, which visually are both L's and V's.
The green lines on the floor are a continuation of the one-point perspective, from which numerous lines are drawn to create three-dimensional space. The green lines continuing from spread arms of Christ make a giant V for Vinci. Another V is created by the negative space between Christ and St. John. V designs are repeated in gold in a decorative pattern on the 6 red tapestries hung on the side walls. They can be found in a Last Supper drawing Windsor???
Aditional three dimension is added by the open witndows and door that stage the background behind the central figures. A bright landscape takes your eye beyond the confinement of the room. It has been identified as Mt. Sion by some art historians, but since the entire composition is about Leonardo, I would clearly say that it is supposed to be Vinci, which was also one of his secret signatures.
The shape of the doors and windows make L's and V's are the ceiling boards in the so called upper room. The corners of the room are L,s and the spaces betewwn the tabestries and the frieze across the ceiling are clearly V,s. By carefully examining the corner knots in the tablecloth you will find that they exhibit definite L's and the tip is a V.
The three lunelttes make horizontal D,s as does the wooden wall ornament above the door. D,s and L,s can also be found in the small white and yellow ochre panels between the red tapestries.
