One of the most famous religious paintings of all time, Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper (about 1495-1497) decorates the walls at Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. This mural depicts the moment immediately following Christ’s dramatic announcement to his disciples that “One of you shall betray me.” Unfortunately, much of the mural has deteriorated because Leonardo painted with an oil-tempera mixture that did not stick well to the wall. A 15th and early 16th century Italian artist and scientist, Leonardo ranks as one of the great creative figures of the European Renaissance (1300-1600).
Restored
It appears lighter and brighter after the completion in 1999 of a painstaking 22-year restoration of the masterpiece. Some experts claim the restoration altered the original appearance of the 15th-century painting, which adorns a wall in the Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy.