| Artist | Andrea del Castagno |
|---|---|
| Year | 1445 - 1450 |
| Type | Fresco |
| Dimensions | 453 cm × 975 cm (178 in × 384 in) |
| Location | Sant'Apollonia, Florence |
The Last Supper (1445-1450) is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance artist Andrea del Castagno, located in the church of Sant'Apollonia in Florence. It depicts Jesus and the Apostles during the Last Supper, with Judas sitting separately on the near side of the table, as is common in depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art.
Saint John's posture of innocent slumber neatly contrasts Jude the Betrayer's tense, upright pose, and the hand positions of the final pair of apostles on either end of the fresco mirror each other with accomplished realism. The colors of the apostles' robes and their postures contribute to the balance of the piece.
The detail and naturalism of this fresco portray the ways in which del Castagno departed from earlier artistic styles. The highly detailed marble walls hearken back to Roman "First Style" wall paintings, and that the pillars and statues recall Classical sculpture and preface trompe l'oeil painting. Furthermore, the color highlights in the hair of the figures, flowing robes, and a credible perspective in the halos foreshadow advancements to come.
The Last Supper displays del Castagno's talents at his best. The detail and naturalism of this fresco portray the ways in which del Castagno departed from earlier artistic styles. It is likely that Leonardo da Vinci was already familiar with this work before he painted his his own Last Supper in a more dramatic form to contrast with the stillness of these works, so that more emotion would be displayed.[1]
|
|||||||||||