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Leonardo and the Last Supper
Early in 1495, Leonardo da Vinci began work in Milan on what would become one of history's most influential and beloved works of art- The Last Supper . After a dozen years at the court of Lodovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan, Leonardo was at a low point personally and at forty-three, in an era when he had almost reached the average life expectancy, he had failed, despite a number of prestigious commissions, to complete anything that truly fulfilled his astonishing promise. His latest failure was a giant bronze horse to honor Sforza's His 75 tons of bronze had been expropriated to be turned into cannons to help repel a French invasion of Italy. The commission to paint The Last Supper in the refectory of a Dominican convent was a small compensation, and his odds of completing it were not Not only had he never worked on a painting of such a large size-15' high x 30' wide-but he had no experience in the extremely difficult medium of fresco.
In his compelling new book, Ross King explores how-amid war and the political and religious turmoil around him, and beset by his own insecurities and frustrations-Leonardo created the masterpiece that would forever define him. King unveils dozens of stories that are embedded in the painting. Examining who served as the models for the Apostles, he makes a unique that Leonardo modeled two of them on himself. Reviewing Leonardo's religious beliefs, King paints a much more complex picture than the received wisdom that he was a heretic. The food that Leonardo, a vegetarian, placed on the table reveals as much as do the numerous hand gestures of those at Christ's banquet. As King explains, many of the myths that have grown up around The Last Supper are wrong, but its true story is ever more interesting. Bringing to life a fascinating period in European history, Ross King presents an original portrait of one of the world's greatest geniuses through the lens of his most famous work.
In his compelling new book, Ross King explores how-amid war and the political and religious turmoil around him, and beset by his own insecurities and frustrations-Leonardo created the masterpiece that would forever define him. King unveils dozens of stories that are embedded in the painting. Examining who served as the models for the Apostles, he makes a unique that Leonardo modeled two of them on himself. Reviewing Leonardo's religious beliefs, King paints a much more complex picture than the received wisdom that he was a heretic. The food that Leonardo, a vegetarian, placed on the table reveals as much as do the numerous hand gestures of those at Christ's banquet. As King explains, many of the myths that have grown up around The Last Supper are wrong, but its true story is ever more interesting. Bringing to life a fascinating period in European history, Ross King presents an original portrait of one of the world's greatest geniuses through the lens of his most famous work.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2012
462 people are currently reading
5359 people want to read
About the author
Ross King
59 books710 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Ross King (born July 16, 1962) is a Canadian novelist and non-fiction writer. He began his career by writing two works of historical fiction in the 1990s, later turning to non-fiction, and has since written several critically acclaimed and best-selling historical works.
King was born in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada and was raised in the nearby village of North Portal. He received his undergraduate university education at the University of Regina, where in 1984 he completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in English Literature. Continuing his studies at the University of Regina, he received a Master of Arts degree in 1986 upon completing a thesis on the poet T.S. Eliot. Later he achieved a Ph.D. from York University in Toronto (1992), where he specialized eighteenth-century English literature.
King moved to England to take up a position as a post-doctoral research fellow at University College, London. It was at this time that he began writing his first novel.
For Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling, King was nominated in 2003 for a National Book Critics Circle Award. Brunelleschi’s Dome was on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, the Boston Globe and the San Francisco Chronicle, and was the recipient of several awards including the 2000 Book Sense Nonfiction Book of the Year.
He lectures frequently in both Europe and North America, and has given guided tours of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence and of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.
King currently lives in Woodstock, England with his wife Melanie
Ross King (born July 16, 1962) is a Canadian novelist and non-fiction writer. He began his career by writing two works of historical fiction in the 1990s, later turning to non-fiction, and has since written several critically acclaimed and best-selling historical works.
King was born in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada and was raised in the nearby village of North Portal. He received his undergraduate university education at the University of Regina, where in 1984 he completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in English Literature. Continuing his studies at the University of Regina, he received a Master of Arts degree in 1986 upon completing a thesis on the poet T.S. Eliot. Later he achieved a Ph.D. from York University in Toronto (1992), where he specialized eighteenth-century English literature.
King moved to England to take up a position as a post-doctoral research fellow at University College, London. It was at this time that he began writing his first novel.
For Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling, King was nominated in 2003 for a National Book Critics Circle Award. Brunelleschi’s Dome was on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, the Boston Globe and the San Francisco Chronicle, and was the recipient of several awards including the 2000 Book Sense Nonfiction Book of the Year.
He lectures frequently in both Europe and North America, and has given guided tours of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence and of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.
King currently lives in Woodstock, England with his wife Melanie
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 324 reviews
May 1, 2017
I like Ross King. I really enjoyed Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling so I knew I would like this one equally as well and this book did not disappoint.
Everything you wanted to know about Michaelangelo life, how he painted this, how the colors are made, are all discussed. Then he delves into the mind of Michaelangelo to interpret how (and after whom) the faces are drawn. What the apostle's may have been thinking at the time and even the placement of hands and positions of the bodies are all analyzed for what he thinks the subtle hidden means are. So much insight. Highly recommend.
Everything you wanted to know about Michaelangelo life, how he painted this, how the colors are made, are all discussed. Then he delves into the mind of Michaelangelo to interpret how (and after whom) the faces are drawn. What the apostle's may have been thinking at the time and even the placement of hands and positions of the bodies are all analyzed for what he thinks the subtle hidden means are. So much insight. Highly recommend.
January 22, 2014
I don't think I'm breaking any barriers by declaring that Leonardo was a fascinating genius. Even among his peers in art history textbooks, he's a good head above (most of) the rest in talent, innovation, and WTF-ness.
This is a fun examination (although it's hard not to use the word "romp") through the life of Leonardo da Vinci, with a recurring focus on the Last Supper. Wanna know if that stuff about the painting in The Da Vinci Code was true? Well, I can tell you that it's not, dummy, but if you want to read more about how it's not true, you can read this book. Wanna know if Leonardo was gay? You can read about that in here. You know that cool helicopter thing that he drew in a sketchbook? Well, it's not a helicopter and you can learn what it is if you read this book. Wanna know where you can find the only possible self portrait of a young Leonardo? Read to find out. Wanna see Leonardo defeat the dreaded Shredder with the help of his friends Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael? Well, you better go YouTube some clips from a wonderful early nineties cartoon. Seriously, go do it.
But then after you do that, you should read this book or go research Da Vinci's life in a different book, preferably one not written by Dan Brown.
This is a fun examination (although it's hard not to use the word "romp") through the life of Leonardo da Vinci, with a recurring focus on the Last Supper. Wanna know if that stuff about the painting in The Da Vinci Code was true? Well, I can tell you that it's not, dummy, but if you want to read more about how it's not true, you can read this book. Wanna know if Leonardo was gay? You can read about that in here. You know that cool helicopter thing that he drew in a sketchbook? Well, it's not a helicopter and you can learn what it is if you read this book. Wanna know where you can find the only possible self portrait of a young Leonardo? Read to find out. Wanna see Leonardo defeat the dreaded Shredder with the help of his friends Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael? Well, you better go YouTube some clips from a wonderful early nineties cartoon. Seriously, go do it.
But then after you do that, you should read this book or go research Da Vinci's life in a different book, preferably one not written by Dan Brown.
May 28, 2025
De alguna forma es reconfortante saber que Da Vinci era un procrastinador serial (hasta cierto punto no más, no se vaya a comparar uno con él). Ahora quedé con la necesidad de leer los evangelios sinópticos en la adultez.
Historia del arte híper accesible, recomiendo !!!
Historia del arte híper accesible, recomiendo !!!
September 23, 2021
Прекрасно і настільки захоплююче, що неможливо відірватись!
Я під величезним враженням. Мистецтво, історія, релігія, культура - тут про все.
Дуже сподіваюсь, що укр вийдуть й інші книги Росса Кінга.
Я під величезним враженням. Мистецтво, історія, релігія, культура - тут про все.
Дуже сподіваюсь, що укр вийдуть й інші книги Росса Кінга.
May 14, 2024
Виявляється Леонардо був геніальним прокрастинатором який закинув більше проектів ніж почав.
Тепер, коли я перегорнув останню сторінку, маю визнати що я практично нічого не знав про Да Вінчі крім якогось банального і базового набору фактів яки й не весь то і фактами виявився. Та і не лише про Леонардо. Росс Кінг намалював прекрасний нарис митця, його життя, його міста, його епохи. Обожнюю такий нон-фікшн. Наприклад описуючи те, як Леонардо брався за роботу над «Таємною вечерею» автор дуже доречно і цікаво описує місце де вона була створена, а саме стіну в трапезній домініканського монастиря. Як це місце і порядки домініканських ченців, наприклад їх обідні обряди, впливали на сюжет, зміст та загалом на авторське рішення. Важливо що робилось в міланському князівстві де жив і працював Леонардо, загалом в Італії та Європі.
Власне Росс Кінг нічого не залишив поза увагою, включно з конспіративними теоріями яких так багато наплодилося навколо Да Вінчі та його робіт.
Чудова книга яку я рекомендую всім, хто цікавиться мистецтвом, історією та біографією видатних людей
Тепер, коли я перегорнув останню сторінку, маю визнати що я практично нічого не знав про Да Вінчі крім якогось банального і базового набору фактів яки й не весь то і фактами виявився. Та і не лише про Леонардо. Росс Кінг намалював прекрасний нарис митця, його життя, його міста, його епохи. Обожнюю такий нон-фікшн. Наприклад описуючи те, як Леонардо брався за роботу над «Таємною вечерею» автор дуже доречно і цікаво описує місце де вона була створена, а саме стіну в трапезній домініканського монастиря. Як це місце і порядки домініканських ченців, наприклад їх обідні обряди, впливали на сюжет, зміст та загалом на авторське рішення. Важливо що робилось в міланському князівстві де жив і працював Леонардо, загалом в Італії та Європі.
Власне Росс Кінг нічого не залишив поза увагою, включно з конспіративними теоріями яких так багато наплодилося навколо Да Вінчі та його робіт.
Чудова книга яку я рекомендую всім, хто цікавиться мистецтвом, історією та біографією видатних людей
October 11, 2012
The brilliant Ross King is at it again. No one does readable art history for the masses better. This time he takes on Leonardo DaVinci and the painting of the Last Supper. King doesn't truck in hype and rumor, this is the real story covering everything from his treatment of drawing hands to the food portrayed. He is a careful and scrupulous writer and his Leonardo is full of lesser known tidbits and humanizing facts. King's books aren't always the easiest to read but they are always worth the effort.
May 12, 2019
2.5 stars.
I have lots of conflicting feelings about this book. The writing was good throughout. The parts about the gospels were excellent. The discussions about symbolism were all quite good. The science of 15th century painting was interesting. The many parts unrelated to The Last Supper were hard for me to get through (Lodovico Sforza, King Charles VIII of France and so many others that contributed nothing to the story). The vague references about Leonardo's possible homosexuality were unnecessary and contributed nothing to the story. The vague suggestion that Leonardo may have been a pederast was annoying and unsubstantiated and contributed nothing to the story. The parts that debunked Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" were so annoying. (Is it really necessary to debunk that book? Just read the friggin' thing and see how preposterous it is on its face.)
Perhaps my problem with the book is of my own making. I came to read it based on two other books by the author that I really enjoyed ("Brunelleschi's Dome" and "Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling") and I thought it would focus on the creation of The Last Supper. It mostly did but the gratuitous distractions made me wish I read a different book on the subject instead.
I have lots of conflicting feelings about this book. The writing was good throughout. The parts about the gospels were excellent. The discussions about symbolism were all quite good. The science of 15th century painting was interesting. The many parts unrelated to The Last Supper were hard for me to get through (Lodovico Sforza, King Charles VIII of France and so many others that contributed nothing to the story). The vague references about Leonardo's possible homosexuality were unnecessary and contributed nothing to the story. The vague suggestion that Leonardo may have been a pederast was annoying and unsubstantiated and contributed nothing to the story. The parts that debunked Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" were so annoying. (Is it really necessary to debunk that book? Just read the friggin' thing and see how preposterous it is on its face.)
Perhaps my problem with the book is of my own making. I came to read it based on two other books by the author that I really enjoyed ("Brunelleschi's Dome" and "Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling") and I thought it would focus on the creation of The Last Supper. It mostly did but the gratuitous distractions made me wish I read a different book on the subject instead.
August 31, 2012
From BBC Radio 4:
Leonardo and the Last Supper tells the fascinating story of what went on behind the scenes when Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to paint what became one of history's greatest masterpieces.
Leonardo and the Last Supper tells the fascinating story of what went on behind the scenes when Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to paint what became one of history's greatest masterpieces.
November 30, 2024
Чи знали ви, що Леонардо да Вінчі був позашлюбним сином, шульгою, постійно зривав дедлайни й кидав проєкти на півдорозі, любив рожеві панчохи й кучерявих хлопців і понад усе хотів робити гармати?
А ще точно не відомо, як він виглядав (так-так, той самий старий бородатий дядько, можливо, не він 😅).
А Джоконда спочатку пилилася десь у Леонардо на складі, а потім висіла у ванній кімнаті французького короля (не запам'ятала якого).
Ця книжка розкаже ще багато цікавого про видатного митця і про те, що відбувалося тоді навколо нього, проведе нас його життєвим шляхом, наскільки він відомий, аж до створення шедевру "Тайна вечеря".
Ми дізнаємося, що це не фреска, чим художника не влаштовувала власне фреска, яку технологію він використовував і чому це все так згубно відбилося на картині.
Ще в книжці подано детальний аналіз картини: інтер'єр, перспектива, поза кожного апостола, можливі натурники, ескізи — і ще багато всього.
Було пізнавально, але трошечки сумбурно, за це -1 бал. А так я задоволена.
А ще точно не відомо, як він виглядав (так-так, той самий старий бородатий дядько, можливо, не він 😅).
А Джоконда спочатку пилилася десь у Леонардо на складі, а потім висіла у ванній кімнаті французького короля (не запам'ятала якого).
Ця книжка розкаже ще багато цікавого про видатного митця і про те, що відбувалося тоді навколо нього, проведе нас його життєвим шляхом, наскільки він відомий, аж до створення шедевру "Тайна вечеря".
Ми дізнаємося, що це не фреска, чим художника не влаштовувала власне фреска, яку технологію він використовував і чому це все так згубно відбилося на картині.
Ще в книжці подано детальний аналіз картини: інтер'єр, перспектива, поза кожного апостола, можливі натурники, ескізи — і ще багато всього.
Було пізнавально, але трошечки сумбурно, за це -1 бал. А так я задоволена.
September 23, 2016
3½ stars
One of the major events in the Passion of Christ is his last meal with his disciples. He prepares them for his departure, institutes the Eucharist, and identifies Judas as his betrayer.
During puberty, I usually ate supper looking at a print of Leonardo’s The Last Supper on the opposite wall, so I can attest that for me any mention of Christ’s last meal will always project an image of Leonardo’s painting, as it undoubtedly has for many millions of others in the last five centuries. It is a tribute to Leonardo’s genius that the memory of his painting is brighter than the sad remnants left of his masterpiece.
For me, the best aspect of this book is how the painting is placed in the historical context - how it came to be commissioned in that specific location, why Leonardo was assigned to paint it, and why he choose to paint it in that manner. There are some interesting digressions on Leonardo’s character, his aspirations, his sexual orientation and the milieu; but we are always brought back to the why and the how of the painting. Finally, we are told of the tragedy of Leonardo’s fate at the moment when he has finally completed an acknowledged masterpiece.
One of the major events in the Passion of Christ is his last meal with his disciples. He prepares them for his departure, institutes the Eucharist, and identifies Judas as his betrayer.
During puberty, I usually ate supper looking at a print of Leonardo’s The Last Supper on the opposite wall, so I can attest that for me any mention of Christ’s last meal will always project an image of Leonardo’s painting, as it undoubtedly has for many millions of others in the last five centuries. It is a tribute to Leonardo’s genius that the memory of his painting is brighter than the sad remnants left of his masterpiece.
For me, the best aspect of this book is how the painting is placed in the historical context - how it came to be commissioned in that specific location, why Leonardo was assigned to paint it, and why he choose to paint it in that manner. There are some interesting digressions on Leonardo’s character, his aspirations, his sexual orientation and the milieu; but we are always brought back to the why and the how of the painting. Finally, we are told of the tragedy of Leonardo’s fate at the moment when he has finally completed an acknowledged masterpiece.
December 22, 2022
Мені не вистачило структурності і послідовності у розповіді. Автор хаотично перескакує між історією Італії, описом техніки малювання, біографією Леонардо і біблійними сюжетами.
У одній цитаті здалось, що тут не всім раді:
«Тайну вечерю» Леонардо створено не для мистецтвознавців і туристів із прийдешніх атеїстичних часів, а для групи ченців-домініканців, які через обряд причастя вшановували Христову жертву. (с)
Так а шо, є якісь окремі piece of art створені виключно для мистецтвознавців?
А атеїстів будем спалювати?
У одній цитаті здалось, що тут не всім раді:
«Тайну вечерю» Леонардо створено не для мистецтвознавців і туристів із прийдешніх атеїстичних часів, а для групи ченців-домініканців, які через обряд причастя вшановували Христову жертву. (с)
Так а шо, є якісь окремі piece of art створені виключно для мистецтвознавців?
А атеїстів будем спалювати?
January 5, 2025
art history so accessible and entertaining !!!!!
Leonardo I want to give you a hug (like AC2 QTE if you know you know 😙)
yippee books like these really leave you with that “hooray I love the Renaissance!!” feeling :-D
Leonardo I want to give you a hug (like AC2 QTE if you know you know 😙)
yippee books like these really leave you with that “hooray I love the Renaissance!!” feeling :-D
October 13, 2018
Long, long ago, lost in the vastness of time, when I was around twelve or thirteen, I bought my first art book. It was a Pelican paperback costing six shillings (a small fortune back then), a biography of Leonardo da Vinci by Kenneth Clark. I am assuming that I knew who da Vinci was, back then, but it is more than likely that I was attracted (as so often) by the cover which depicted a wonderful, fine line drawing of a stern-looking man wearing a fantastical helmet. I doubt I ever read the book, I was more attracted by the illustrations, especially the drawings of fantastical torrents of water, beautiful delicate drawings of angelic faces, superb drawings of hands. I draw, I love drawing, this appealed to me then and still does.
Leonardo became my chief of men as far as artists go. He has never been supplanted though he has been joined by so many in my pantheon. When I came across this book by Ross King, I genuinely thought it would be just about the painting of The Last Supper, that infamous mural in Milan, better known for its decayed state and the many copies it has inspired. It therefore came as both a surprise, and a pleasure, to discover that Ross King was using the story behind that painting to introduce us to the life and times of Leonardo... and how well he has done it.
The book is a very easy read, full of fascinating facts and anecdotes. It reveals the genius of a man who was not obsessed by art but, rather, an individual obsessed by the world; anatomy, nature, inventions. It is impossible to go away, having read this book, without being full of admiration for his achievements and his failures. Leonardo is a man after my own heart; obsessed, leaping from one project to another, neither one thing nor the other. Yet, as someone who produces art he also rings familiar chords; obsessions with specific, not necessarily achievable projects; his, at times, reluctance to grab the bull by the horns and get on with it. When he is observed, sometimes working almost frenetically on his mural, non-stop, no pause, then at other times just standing there before it, just staring... I recognise a kindred spirit.
Wonderful book.
Leonardo became my chief of men as far as artists go. He has never been supplanted though he has been joined by so many in my pantheon. When I came across this book by Ross King, I genuinely thought it would be just about the painting of The Last Supper, that infamous mural in Milan, better known for its decayed state and the many copies it has inspired. It therefore came as both a surprise, and a pleasure, to discover that Ross King was using the story behind that painting to introduce us to the life and times of Leonardo... and how well he has done it.
The book is a very easy read, full of fascinating facts and anecdotes. It reveals the genius of a man who was not obsessed by art but, rather, an individual obsessed by the world; anatomy, nature, inventions. It is impossible to go away, having read this book, without being full of admiration for his achievements and his failures. Leonardo is a man after my own heart; obsessed, leaping from one project to another, neither one thing nor the other. Yet, as someone who produces art he also rings familiar chords; obsessions with specific, not necessarily achievable projects; his, at times, reluctance to grab the bull by the horns and get on with it. When he is observed, sometimes working almost frenetically on his mural, non-stop, no pause, then at other times just standing there before it, just staring... I recognise a kindred spirit.
Wonderful book.
February 15, 2020
Коли наступного разу я побачу десь фреску, я, певно, завмру від захвату.
Тепер я знаю, як їх створювали. Скільки зусиль, людей, часу і наполегливісті це коштує.
Але книга не про це. Це лише дрібочка враження, яке лишилось зі мною після прочитання.
Це — дослідження. З цитатами, розвінчуванням міфів, десятками посилань.
Але це дослідження — дивовижно доступне, бо я зі своїм скупим знанням про історію Італії, мистецтво і самого да Вінчі відірватися не могла від написаного!
Леонардо тут — як живий. Яскравий, натхненний, неймовірно багатогранний. Читаєш, і бачиш його перед собою: людину в яскравому одязі, захоплену світом; людину, яка малюючи інших людей настільки прискіпливо спостерігає за іншими, що навіть носи класифікувала у 18 різних типів. Людину, якотра у пориві творчого натхнання раптом вирішує написати трактат. Трактат про малярство. Чому ні?
А ще ж можна цікавились природою! І архітектурою. І технікою. Світ надто широкий, щоб фокусуватись на чомусь одному!
Можна щось почати й не завершити; почати і втомитися, почати і розтягнути роботу на роки. Не прокастинація, а надто висока планка. Не лінь, а небажання робити те, що не хочеться. Характер Леонардно в книзі вимальований дуже об'ємно. Автор пише так, мов знав його особисто, це вражає!
Це не життєпис, бо тут багато історичного контексту: вас поглинає Італія 15 століття зі своїми порядками, законами, війнами.
Це не історія створення одного шедевру, бо тут не тільки про картину, іменем якої названо книгу.
Це дуже комплексний текст!
І крізь нього відчувається шалена зацікавленість автора у тому, про що він пише. Він то наводить фокус оповіді на дрібні деталі, то віддаляється і показує панорамне зображення своєї оповіді. І зацікавленість ця передається читачеві, інакше бути не може!
Після такої книги хочеться ще подивитись кілька документальних фільмів, почитати щось подібне.
Тепер я знаю, як їх створювали. Скільки зусиль, людей, часу і наполегливісті це коштує.
Але книга не про це. Це лише дрібочка враження, яке лишилось зі мною після прочитання.
Це — дослідження. З цитатами, розвінчуванням міфів, десятками посилань.
Але це дослідження — дивовижно доступне, бо я зі своїм скупим знанням про історію Італії, мистецтво і самого да Вінчі відірватися не могла від написаного!
Леонардо тут — як живий. Яскравий, натхненний, неймовірно багатогранний. Читаєш, і бачиш його перед собою: людину в яскравому одязі, захоплену світом; людину, яка малюючи інших людей настільки прискіпливо спостерігає за іншими, що навіть носи класифікувала у 18 різних типів. Людину, якотра у пориві творчого натхнання раптом вирішує написати трактат. Трактат про малярство. Чому ні?
А ще ж можна цікавились природою! І архітектурою. І технікою. Світ надто широкий, щоб фокусуватись на чомусь одному!
Можна щось почати й не завершити; почати і втомитися, почати і розтягнути роботу на роки. Не прокастинація, а надто висока планка. Не лінь, а небажання робити те, що не хочеться. Характер Леонардно в книзі вимальований дуже об'ємно. Автор пише так, мов знав його особисто, це вражає!
Це не життєпис, бо тут багато історичного контексту: вас поглинає Італія 15 століття зі своїми порядками, законами, війнами.
Це не історія створення одного шедевру, бо тут не тільки про картину, іменем якої названо книгу.
Це дуже комплексний текст!
І крізь нього відчувається шалена зацікавленість автора у тому, про що він пише. Він то наводить фокус оповіді на дрібні деталі, то віддаляється і показує панорамне зображення своєї оповіді. І зацікавленість ця передається читачеві, інакше бути не може!
Після такої книги хочеться ще подивитись кілька документальних фільмів, почитати щось подібне.
November 3, 2013
I read a review by one of my friends on Goodreads thought it interesting so read the book. Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” is shrouded in mystery and controversy for which Ross King has attempted to settle some of the mysteries regarding the painting. “The Last Supper” is in the former refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. It was Da Vinci’s largest painting; he painted it with oils on one of the refectory walls. Between the damp walls, Napoleon’s soldiers using the refectory as a stable, the RAF bombing in WWII which left it exposed to the elements for months and many other unrecorded damaging events to the painting we are lucky it still exists today. In attempting to settle some of the controversies about the painting Ross goes into great detail on how Da Vinci painted the scenes. I was interested in his comments about Dan Brown’s book “The Da Vinci Code” and other comments he revealed the truth about from Brown’s book. In brown’s book he claimed the figure sitting on Jesus’ right is Mary Magdalene, Ross goes into great discourse proving the figure is actually John. Ross also explains that Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” was different from other such past paintings because Da Vinci had expressive faces on the apostles and great life like detail of plates of food and even pleats on the tablecloth. I found the book most fascinating, sort of like reading a mystery story. I read this as an audio book. Mark Meadows did a good job narrating the book. If you are interested in history or art history you will enjoy this book.
March 6, 2014
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
August 19, 2025** READ FOR SCHOOL **
January 16, 2013
Leonardo Di Vinci's reluctance to paint the walls of the Santa Maria delle Grazie is reminiscent of Michelangelo's reluctance to paint the paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel which is brought to life by Ross King in his earlier work, "Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling". This new book tells the circumstances that brought Di Vinci to this project, his life while working on it, its technical and artistic considerations, how the changing political situation in Italy both helped and hindered the project, and the "after" life of Di Vinci, his painting and his patron.
Di Vinci was a man of many talents. He designed in such varied fields such as military weapons, sculpture, architecture, mathematics texts, aviation, theater sets, costumes and wedding attire. He had never before, produced a fresco. Obtaining and preparing materials was a big job as was the physical work of the surface and applying the fresco. Di Vinci eventually abandoned fresco for oil tempura and Ross similarly details the 15th century problems of its procurement and preparation and the choices of oils and pigments an artists had to make. He also tells of the 16th century forward problems in preservation and the solutions which have become increasing sophisticated.
Duke of Milan, Lodovico Sforza, wanted the Santa Maria delle Grazie to showcase the glory of his family. Di Vinci's work would be one of the adornments, along with other frescoes including family portraits as was common at the time. Di Vinci's earlier assignment had been to honor the Sforza's with a giant bronze equestrian statute commemorating Lodovico's father (who had seized control of Milan for the family). When the bronze was needed to build cannon, and the project was scraped and decorations to the Santa Maria delle Grazie would now suffice.
One of the many interesting things I learned is that "'The' Last Supper", at its time, was "'A' Last Supper" since it was a popular motif in Italy. Ross shows how Di Vinci took this motif to a whole new level, essentially ushering in the modern age (high Renaissance) of art. He used the (then) new technique of perspective to balance out his painting. There is a lot of background on Di Vinci's search for just the right faces and their attitudes. His famous Notebooks are full of studies of noses, fingers, and faces. Every element of the painting is meaningful from the spilled salt to Thomas' upward pointing finger.
Ross weighs in on the premise of the Di Vinci Code: the long haired person next to Jesus is the apostle John and not Mary Magdalene. On p. 191 there is a reproduction of a Di Vinci painting of John the Baptist, (with a strange resemblance to Mona Lisa) demonstrating (noted elsewhere in the book) that Di Vinci did feminize male portraits. He also notes, Montorfano's "Crucifixion", painted on the wall opposite "The Last Supper" portrays John "as a mirror image" (p.228) of Di Vinci's John.
The writing in this book is good throughout, but page turning writing comes and goes. The "Epilogue" is particularly strong. It is Ross at his best, as he describes the conditions of Di Vinci and Sforza's last days, and the many restorations of Di Vinci's great work.
Di Vinci was a man of many talents. He designed in such varied fields such as military weapons, sculpture, architecture, mathematics texts, aviation, theater sets, costumes and wedding attire. He had never before, produced a fresco. Obtaining and preparing materials was a big job as was the physical work of the surface and applying the fresco. Di Vinci eventually abandoned fresco for oil tempura and Ross similarly details the 15th century problems of its procurement and preparation and the choices of oils and pigments an artists had to make. He also tells of the 16th century forward problems in preservation and the solutions which have become increasing sophisticated.
Duke of Milan, Lodovico Sforza, wanted the Santa Maria delle Grazie to showcase the glory of his family. Di Vinci's work would be one of the adornments, along with other frescoes including family portraits as was common at the time. Di Vinci's earlier assignment had been to honor the Sforza's with a giant bronze equestrian statute commemorating Lodovico's father (who had seized control of Milan for the family). When the bronze was needed to build cannon, and the project was scraped and decorations to the Santa Maria delle Grazie would now suffice.
One of the many interesting things I learned is that "'The' Last Supper", at its time, was "'A' Last Supper" since it was a popular motif in Italy. Ross shows how Di Vinci took this motif to a whole new level, essentially ushering in the modern age (high Renaissance) of art. He used the (then) new technique of perspective to balance out his painting. There is a lot of background on Di Vinci's search for just the right faces and their attitudes. His famous Notebooks are full of studies of noses, fingers, and faces. Every element of the painting is meaningful from the spilled salt to Thomas' upward pointing finger.
Ross weighs in on the premise of the Di Vinci Code: the long haired person next to Jesus is the apostle John and not Mary Magdalene. On p. 191 there is a reproduction of a Di Vinci painting of John the Baptist, (with a strange resemblance to Mona Lisa) demonstrating (noted elsewhere in the book) that Di Vinci did feminize male portraits. He also notes, Montorfano's "Crucifixion", painted on the wall opposite "The Last Supper" portrays John "as a mirror image" (p.228) of Di Vinci's John.
The writing in this book is good throughout, but page turning writing comes and goes. The "Epilogue" is particularly strong. It is Ross at his best, as he describes the conditions of Di Vinci and Sforza's last days, and the many restorations of Di Vinci's great work.
August 24, 2017
I read this book in preparation for an actual viewing of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper in Milan. I wanted to know the details surrounding the mural’s origins, it’s purpose, and the meaning behind the images chosen by Da Vinci. To this end, Ross King created a book that fulfilled all of these interests, and more.
King uses da Vinci’s mural as the center of a story that reaches out in all directions. Milanese history, biblical foundations, da Vinci’s life, religious practices, social norms, and pop culture (by way of Dan Brown's contributions to the subject) all find their way back to the painting. And while this extensive view seems a bit too detailed at times, the omission of any given detail would have introduced the risk of something important to some particular reader being left out of the book. King could not choose his readers, but he could choose to be thorough and thoughtful on the subject. And these two qualities lead to a nearly complete impression of a 500-year-old piece of art that has embedded itself into the fabric of Western culture.
King uses da Vinci’s mural as the center of a story that reaches out in all directions. Milanese history, biblical foundations, da Vinci’s life, religious practices, social norms, and pop culture (by way of Dan Brown's contributions to the subject) all find their way back to the painting. And while this extensive view seems a bit too detailed at times, the omission of any given detail would have introduced the risk of something important to some particular reader being left out of the book. King could not choose his readers, but he could choose to be thorough and thoughtful on the subject. And these two qualities lead to a nearly complete impression of a 500-year-old piece of art that has embedded itself into the fabric of Western culture.
December 30, 2013
History and Italy are two of my greatest loves, so when I got my eager little fingers on Leonardo and the Last Supper I was already excited for what was to come. And Mr. King did not disappoint. This is the first work from Ross King I have read and I have already added a few of his other similar works to my wish list.
King (perhaps from experience or sheer talent) has a wonderful ability of covering numerous aspects regarding the life of Leonardo himself, the purpose and creation of the famous painting, while incorporating the details of the historical happenings that influenced both the man and the art piece. It was a perfect balance of all three elements, compared to many art history books that have tilted too far on one side and leaving the overall picture a little blurry.
I had always known that Leonardo was remembered as a genius with interesting quirks but Leonardo and the Last Supper provides an in-depth and detailed exploration of a man beyond his time. Some of the highlights of the book include the discussions of Leonardo’s personal fashion taste (he was well known for wearing bright pink tights), his wide variety of obsessions (including aerial flight and the begrudging manner in which he supported his mischievous apprentice Salai) and the somewhat high maintenance and short attention span Leonardo possessed that often caused his projects to take years to complete and angered those waiting for their pricy paintings. While admired for his artistic abilities, he was a social misfit in his own way.
I think it’s safe to say that the theme of a misfit Leonardo is a prevalent one through numerous aspects of the book and his artistic career. Leonardo was certainly an artist with eccentricities. He was notorious for not completing works on time (or even starting them sometimes) and for using his own artistic preferences. When the fellow artists commissioned to create murals in the Santa Maria delle Grazie refectory were using the fresco art style, Leonardo refused to do so and instead painted in his preferred method, oil. Yet, it was the very quirks that artistically differentiated Leonardo from other artists of the time that added to his creative genius. King offers a fascinating glimpse into how much time and thought Leonardo put into his paintings, such as the hours he spent making sketches of the facial expressions and hand gestures of people in markets and plazas. A full chapter of the novel is dedicated to deciphering who were the artistic muses for the members dining with Christ in the painting. King, who has experience with artistic criticism, offers an intriguing examination of how Leonardo painted and how his mind created what are no considered masterpieces.
History lovers will not be disappointed either. During Leonardo’s lifetime Italy was a bed of intrigue and fascinating characters, one of whom was Leonardo’s main benefactor. Lodovico Sforza, the self-proclaimed Duke of Florence, was a ruthless man and sought to legitimize his political claim in numerous ways. One was through the arts, but he was also meddling constantly in the affairs of other Italian dukes and leaders, along with those beyond Italian borders such as the French King and the Holy Roman Emperor. The actions of Sforza and other powerful Italian men influenced everything around them, including the lives and commissioned works of artists, including Leonardo who spent most of his life at Sforza’s court creating sets for theatrical plays and working on a giant equestrian statue that would never see completion.
Nothing about Leonardo and the Last Supper is dull. King makes topics that might seem monotonous (such as painting techniques and historic details) captivating with his suspenseful and witty writing style. He entwines the topics of artistic techniques, history and interesting characters together to create an enjoyable novel that any art or history fan will enjoy immensely.
Devon – athousandbooklife
Please come check out more of my reviews at my blog: http://athousandbooklife.wordpress.com/
King (perhaps from experience or sheer talent) has a wonderful ability of covering numerous aspects regarding the life of Leonardo himself, the purpose and creation of the famous painting, while incorporating the details of the historical happenings that influenced both the man and the art piece. It was a perfect balance of all three elements, compared to many art history books that have tilted too far on one side and leaving the overall picture a little blurry.
I had always known that Leonardo was remembered as a genius with interesting quirks but Leonardo and the Last Supper provides an in-depth and detailed exploration of a man beyond his time. Some of the highlights of the book include the discussions of Leonardo’s personal fashion taste (he was well known for wearing bright pink tights), his wide variety of obsessions (including aerial flight and the begrudging manner in which he supported his mischievous apprentice Salai) and the somewhat high maintenance and short attention span Leonardo possessed that often caused his projects to take years to complete and angered those waiting for their pricy paintings. While admired for his artistic abilities, he was a social misfit in his own way.
I think it’s safe to say that the theme of a misfit Leonardo is a prevalent one through numerous aspects of the book and his artistic career. Leonardo was certainly an artist with eccentricities. He was notorious for not completing works on time (or even starting them sometimes) and for using his own artistic preferences. When the fellow artists commissioned to create murals in the Santa Maria delle Grazie refectory were using the fresco art style, Leonardo refused to do so and instead painted in his preferred method, oil. Yet, it was the very quirks that artistically differentiated Leonardo from other artists of the time that added to his creative genius. King offers a fascinating glimpse into how much time and thought Leonardo put into his paintings, such as the hours he spent making sketches of the facial expressions and hand gestures of people in markets and plazas. A full chapter of the novel is dedicated to deciphering who were the artistic muses for the members dining with Christ in the painting. King, who has experience with artistic criticism, offers an intriguing examination of how Leonardo painted and how his mind created what are no considered masterpieces.
History lovers will not be disappointed either. During Leonardo’s lifetime Italy was a bed of intrigue and fascinating characters, one of whom was Leonardo’s main benefactor. Lodovico Sforza, the self-proclaimed Duke of Florence, was a ruthless man and sought to legitimize his political claim in numerous ways. One was through the arts, but he was also meddling constantly in the affairs of other Italian dukes and leaders, along with those beyond Italian borders such as the French King and the Holy Roman Emperor. The actions of Sforza and other powerful Italian men influenced everything around them, including the lives and commissioned works of artists, including Leonardo who spent most of his life at Sforza’s court creating sets for theatrical plays and working on a giant equestrian statue that would never see completion.
Nothing about Leonardo and the Last Supper is dull. King makes topics that might seem monotonous (such as painting techniques and historic details) captivating with his suspenseful and witty writing style. He entwines the topics of artistic techniques, history and interesting characters together to create an enjoyable novel that any art or history fan will enjoy immensely.
Devon – athousandbooklife
Please come check out more of my reviews at my blog: http://athousandbooklife.wordpress.com/
August 14, 2018
The Last Supper and Mona Lisa are the most famous paintings in the world. Even those who have no exposure to the world of art recognize these two pictures as the epitome of craft and style that made its beginning in Renaissance Italy. After a long gap of five centuries since they were painted, the pictures continue to evoke a sense of wonder in enthusiasts and remain a source of fascination in which new definitions and discoveries are still being made. Leonardo da Vinci painted both these pictures and was considered as the supreme master of the art during his lifetime itself. Few people realize that the Last Supper is not a painting done on canvas or wood, but rather a huge mural artwork (covering a staggering area of 400 square feet) made on the northern wall of the refectory of church Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. This book tells the story of how this amazing picture came to life. It is actually a mix of three individual strands of narration harmoniously commingling in an immensely appealing flow of facts and anecdotes. It describes the life of da Vinci, the biography of the painting and Milanese history during its tumultuous decade from 1490 to 1500. Ross King is a Canadian novelist and non-fiction writer. He began his career by writing two works of historical fiction in the 1990s, later turning to non-fiction and has since written several critically acclaimed and best-selling historical works.
Leonardo di Ser Piero da Vinci was born in 1452 out of wedlock in the tiny village of Vinci near Florence. Being an illegitimate child, he couldn’t follow his father’s career as a notary. His mother might probably have been a slave girl. Judging from da Vinci’s fingerprints, there are speculations that his mother might have belonged to the Middle East. Leonardo’s father legitimized him and arranged for his son to learn painting as an apprentice of Andrea de Verrocchio, who was a distinguished artist of Florence. There are some interesting pieces drawn by Verrocchio in which Leonardo’s contribution is strongly suspected. Renaissance Florence was a nice place for a creative painter to be, as it had an astonishing proliferation of architects, sculptors, and painters. However, painters were a part of a guild that included drapers, candle makers, hatters and Glovers who worked with their hands. By the same logic, it included doctors and apothecaries too. The young Leonardo was physically strong. He was said to be able to straighten a horse shoe with his bare hands. By around his early thirties, he secured commissions in Florence through both his talent and connections with powerful friends. Most of these commissions met with unhappy fates. Leonardo was not a man who finished his job on time. A combination of distractions, experimentation, a quest for perfection and a general intellectual restlessness made his clients irritated and unhappy with his work. He also indulged in underhanded acts to secure commissions. Once he tried to get the job of designing and casting the bronze doors of Piacenza’s cathedral and wrote an anonymous letter to church officials extolling his talents.
Leonardo moved to Milan in 1482 where the ruthless Duke Lodovico Sforza was making the city smarter and grander with increased taxes and consequent loss of his popularity. Da Vinci wanted a career change as an architect and military engineer rather than continue as a painter because he reached his forties without truly having achieved a masterpiece that would fulfill everything his astonishing talents portended. He had designed numerous machines for the textile trade, such as handlooms, bobbin winders and a needle-making machine. In Milan he wanted to sculpt the figure of Francesco Sforza, the duke’s father, on a horse. Whatever might be Leonardo’s aspirations to become a military engineer, Sforza always used him as an interior decorator and stage designer. The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie was Lodovico’s spiritual abode and he was at great pains to embellish it with works of art and endow it with new buildings. When the question of adorning the walls of the refectory came up, the Duke didn’t think much beyond Leonardo as its creator, even though he tried to wriggle out of the assignment at first. Knowing the great artist’s delaying tactics, he was paired with an undistinguished local painter Giovanni Donato da Montorfano, who was assigned to paint a scene of crucifixion on the wall facing opposite to the Last Supper.
King describes the manners and idiosyncrasies of da Vinci in considerable detail and also his methods of observation and study of men and their actions. Leonardo always went about observing, noting and considering the circumstances and behaviour of men in talking, quarrelling, laughing or fighting together. He continually searched for a fantastic face among the people to make up a repertoire so that each painting differed from others. The difference between a photograph and a painting of the Renaissance era is neatly explained by the author. While a photograph reproduced the pose of a man in an instant, Leonardo captured the man and also the intention of his mind. The first was easy, but the second was devilishly difficult by representing the gestures and movements of the parts of the body. Moreover, a person looking at a painting is like a deaf man studying an animated conversation. He could understand what was happening only through the language of gestures depicted in the image. Since Leonardo was not conversant with fresco painting, what he achieved was a workaround called oil in tempera that was fine to behold in the early years, but contributed to flaking off of paint. Fresco painting must be performed while the plaster is still damp and extremely troublesome. The plaster must not be spread over a larger portion of the surface than can be painted in one day. It must have been a daunting challenge for Leonardo as painting with oil had allowed him to capture the startling visual effects that won him reputation as a painter.
The concept of the ‘Last Supper’ as a theme was not new in Christian art and in fact, it suited the purpose of the refectory (dining hall) as well. One of the oldest surviving examples of the Last Supper is a mosaic from the basilica of Sant’Appollinare Nuovo in Ravenna done in the fifth century, a full millennium before Leonardo’s work. Artists took this scene as part of a cycle showing snippets from the life of Christ. Several amusing facts concerned with ‘The Last Supper’ are described. This book disabuses the readers on some myths in wide circulation such as the same person had modeled for Christ and Judas. This is certainly wrong for the simple reason that the painting took only three years to complete. Leonardo searched the ghettos of Milan for a year to find a man with a suitably vile face. The model for Christ’s face was a soldier from a noble family while his arms were copied from another person. The irony of representing the prince of peace by a military man might not have lost on the great master. The apostles in the picture are replicas of eminent courtiers of Sforza. Leonardo himself is also deemed to have been portrayed in it. Christ’s face is at the geometric centre of the image and a small hole is still visible in his right temple where Leonardo had driven a nail to mark the diminishing point in the picture showing perspective. It is interesting to learn that the Last Supper marked the first time Leonardo drew the adult Christ. In a technique known as hieratic perspective, the figure of Christ is drawn substantially larger in proportion to the other apostles. King also estimates the reward Leonardo received for the painting, which comes to $350,000 in today’s money.
Dan Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’ was an enormous best seller that portrayed da Vinci as the head of a secret society which preserved Christ’s supposed bloodline into modern times. King clarifies a few allegations made in the book which confused most readers of Brown’s book. What Dan Brown claimed for the figure of Mary Magdalene in the ‘Last Supper’ is in fact Saint John, whose youthful, effeminate and beardless face signified the aesthetic peculiarities of the period that showed adolescent boys with a feminine makeover. A lot of such examples and a convincing reasoning are given in the book. Anyone who still doubts whether the figure of Saint John is actually a woman need only to look at the painting titled ‘St. John the Baptist’ made by Leonardo himself. Some inconsistencies in the book are also to be noted. King claims that Matthew’s Gospel is the oldest, but Bible scholars ascribe that position to Mark’s. King’s narration is lovable and hugely appealing. The extremely small print size of this edition of the book is the only factor that goes against it.
The book is highly recommended.
Leonardo di Ser Piero da Vinci was born in 1452 out of wedlock in the tiny village of Vinci near Florence. Being an illegitimate child, he couldn’t follow his father’s career as a notary. His mother might probably have been a slave girl. Judging from da Vinci’s fingerprints, there are speculations that his mother might have belonged to the Middle East. Leonardo’s father legitimized him and arranged for his son to learn painting as an apprentice of Andrea de Verrocchio, who was a distinguished artist of Florence. There are some interesting pieces drawn by Verrocchio in which Leonardo’s contribution is strongly suspected. Renaissance Florence was a nice place for a creative painter to be, as it had an astonishing proliferation of architects, sculptors, and painters. However, painters were a part of a guild that included drapers, candle makers, hatters and Glovers who worked with their hands. By the same logic, it included doctors and apothecaries too. The young Leonardo was physically strong. He was said to be able to straighten a horse shoe with his bare hands. By around his early thirties, he secured commissions in Florence through both his talent and connections with powerful friends. Most of these commissions met with unhappy fates. Leonardo was not a man who finished his job on time. A combination of distractions, experimentation, a quest for perfection and a general intellectual restlessness made his clients irritated and unhappy with his work. He also indulged in underhanded acts to secure commissions. Once he tried to get the job of designing and casting the bronze doors of Piacenza’s cathedral and wrote an anonymous letter to church officials extolling his talents.
Leonardo moved to Milan in 1482 where the ruthless Duke Lodovico Sforza was making the city smarter and grander with increased taxes and consequent loss of his popularity. Da Vinci wanted a career change as an architect and military engineer rather than continue as a painter because he reached his forties without truly having achieved a masterpiece that would fulfill everything his astonishing talents portended. He had designed numerous machines for the textile trade, such as handlooms, bobbin winders and a needle-making machine. In Milan he wanted to sculpt the figure of Francesco Sforza, the duke’s father, on a horse. Whatever might be Leonardo’s aspirations to become a military engineer, Sforza always used him as an interior decorator and stage designer. The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie was Lodovico’s spiritual abode and he was at great pains to embellish it with works of art and endow it with new buildings. When the question of adorning the walls of the refectory came up, the Duke didn’t think much beyond Leonardo as its creator, even though he tried to wriggle out of the assignment at first. Knowing the great artist’s delaying tactics, he was paired with an undistinguished local painter Giovanni Donato da Montorfano, who was assigned to paint a scene of crucifixion on the wall facing opposite to the Last Supper.
King describes the manners and idiosyncrasies of da Vinci in considerable detail and also his methods of observation and study of men and their actions. Leonardo always went about observing, noting and considering the circumstances and behaviour of men in talking, quarrelling, laughing or fighting together. He continually searched for a fantastic face among the people to make up a repertoire so that each painting differed from others. The difference between a photograph and a painting of the Renaissance era is neatly explained by the author. While a photograph reproduced the pose of a man in an instant, Leonardo captured the man and also the intention of his mind. The first was easy, but the second was devilishly difficult by representing the gestures and movements of the parts of the body. Moreover, a person looking at a painting is like a deaf man studying an animated conversation. He could understand what was happening only through the language of gestures depicted in the image. Since Leonardo was not conversant with fresco painting, what he achieved was a workaround called oil in tempera that was fine to behold in the early years, but contributed to flaking off of paint. Fresco painting must be performed while the plaster is still damp and extremely troublesome. The plaster must not be spread over a larger portion of the surface than can be painted in one day. It must have been a daunting challenge for Leonardo as painting with oil had allowed him to capture the startling visual effects that won him reputation as a painter.
The concept of the ‘Last Supper’ as a theme was not new in Christian art and in fact, it suited the purpose of the refectory (dining hall) as well. One of the oldest surviving examples of the Last Supper is a mosaic from the basilica of Sant’Appollinare Nuovo in Ravenna done in the fifth century, a full millennium before Leonardo’s work. Artists took this scene as part of a cycle showing snippets from the life of Christ. Several amusing facts concerned with ‘The Last Supper’ are described. This book disabuses the readers on some myths in wide circulation such as the same person had modeled for Christ and Judas. This is certainly wrong for the simple reason that the painting took only three years to complete. Leonardo searched the ghettos of Milan for a year to find a man with a suitably vile face. The model for Christ’s face was a soldier from a noble family while his arms were copied from another person. The irony of representing the prince of peace by a military man might not have lost on the great master. The apostles in the picture are replicas of eminent courtiers of Sforza. Leonardo himself is also deemed to have been portrayed in it. Christ’s face is at the geometric centre of the image and a small hole is still visible in his right temple where Leonardo had driven a nail to mark the diminishing point in the picture showing perspective. It is interesting to learn that the Last Supper marked the first time Leonardo drew the adult Christ. In a technique known as hieratic perspective, the figure of Christ is drawn substantially larger in proportion to the other apostles. King also estimates the reward Leonardo received for the painting, which comes to $350,000 in today’s money.
Dan Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’ was an enormous best seller that portrayed da Vinci as the head of a secret society which preserved Christ’s supposed bloodline into modern times. King clarifies a few allegations made in the book which confused most readers of Brown’s book. What Dan Brown claimed for the figure of Mary Magdalene in the ‘Last Supper’ is in fact Saint John, whose youthful, effeminate and beardless face signified the aesthetic peculiarities of the period that showed adolescent boys with a feminine makeover. A lot of such examples and a convincing reasoning are given in the book. Anyone who still doubts whether the figure of Saint John is actually a woman need only to look at the painting titled ‘St. John the Baptist’ made by Leonardo himself. Some inconsistencies in the book are also to be noted. King claims that Matthew’s Gospel is the oldest, but Bible scholars ascribe that position to Mark’s. King’s narration is lovable and hugely appealing. The extremely small print size of this edition of the book is the only factor that goes against it.
The book is highly recommended.
October 21, 2012
After a couple of trips to Florence, I have been increasingly interested in art history, specifically painters of the high renaissance like Leonardo Da Vinci. Ross King’s latest non-fiction work examine’s how Da Vinci’s greatest masterpiece “The Last Supper” came about.
The book opens with an explanation of the the history of the area – specifically Milan, where the artist was commissioned to paint the fresco. Knowing the history is important in understanding how patronage works, and how political upheaval (and even death) can pull the rug out from under an artist who spends years on a single project.
I learned quite a bit about Leonardo Da Vinci. He was an illegimate son, although he grew up in his father’s house and received a fine education (without which, he most likely would not have amounted to much). Possessing a keen and inquisitive mind, he was fascinated by how things work and loved to invent all sorts of contraptions from machinery to weaponry. King portrays him a bit on the lazy side, as he begins projects only to abandon them prior to completion. His patrons often had to threaten and beg for him to finish their commissions. The author asserts that Da Vinci was likely a homosexual who had daliances with his apprentices.
Leonardo and the Last Supper was obviously well researched, and King does a great job of including relevant information to help the reader understand Da Vinci’s approach to the project. From his choice of oils to models and cartooning and religious attitudes, there is a wealth of information here. I found it read well in the first third and the last third of the book – the middle was a bit tedious for me. I also found King’s discussion of Mary Magdaline, specifically debunking The Da Vinci Code completely irrelevant. Perhaps there are some who found it interesting, but does this really belong in an art history book? Still, I learned quite a bit of new and fascinating information about the great artist and his masterpiece.
The book opens with an explanation of the the history of the area – specifically Milan, where the artist was commissioned to paint the fresco. Knowing the history is important in understanding how patronage works, and how political upheaval (and even death) can pull the rug out from under an artist who spends years on a single project.
I learned quite a bit about Leonardo Da Vinci. He was an illegimate son, although he grew up in his father’s house and received a fine education (without which, he most likely would not have amounted to much). Possessing a keen and inquisitive mind, he was fascinated by how things work and loved to invent all sorts of contraptions from machinery to weaponry. King portrays him a bit on the lazy side, as he begins projects only to abandon them prior to completion. His patrons often had to threaten and beg for him to finish their commissions. The author asserts that Da Vinci was likely a homosexual who had daliances with his apprentices.
Leonardo and the Last Supper was obviously well researched, and King does a great job of including relevant information to help the reader understand Da Vinci’s approach to the project. From his choice of oils to models and cartooning and religious attitudes, there is a wealth of information here. I found it read well in the first third and the last third of the book – the middle was a bit tedious for me. I also found King’s discussion of Mary Magdaline, specifically debunking The Da Vinci Code completely irrelevant. Perhaps there are some who found it interesting, but does this really belong in an art history book? Still, I learned quite a bit of new and fascinating information about the great artist and his masterpiece.
Want to read
September 28, 2012recommended by Michael Sims
I have to share the glowing advance reviews of Ross King's new book LEONARDO AND THE LAST SUPPER. And I have to mention that I'm reading the galley and I agree with them.
"This is quintessential King territory, and his uniquely detailed, far-ranging, and engrossing chronicle of the creation of this revolutionary masterpiece ... perfectly complements his best-selling Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling (2003). Himself an exceptional portraitist and craftsman, King brings to precise life a fully dimensional, irresistibly audacious, and wizardly Leonardo and his powerfully affecting, miraculously surviving mural ... Readers will love the dramatic, vivid, and brainy mix of biography and art history."
—Booklist (starred review)
"An absorbing study of a disappearing masterpiece … King places the painting in its political, social and artistic context, describing both the meaning of da Vinci's work and the violent 15th-century Italian world that spawned it … King plumbs the painting's religious, secular, psychological and political meanings, registered in the facial expressions and hand positions, the significance of the food on the table and, most fascinatingly, the salt spilled by the betraying Judas … King's book is an impressive restoration—the author helps readers see this painting for the first time."
—Kirkus (starred review)
I have to share the glowing advance reviews of Ross King's new book LEONARDO AND THE LAST SUPPER. And I have to mention that I'm reading the galley and I agree with them.
"This is quintessential King territory, and his uniquely detailed, far-ranging, and engrossing chronicle of the creation of this revolutionary masterpiece ... perfectly complements his best-selling Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling (2003). Himself an exceptional portraitist and craftsman, King brings to precise life a fully dimensional, irresistibly audacious, and wizardly Leonardo and his powerfully affecting, miraculously surviving mural ... Readers will love the dramatic, vivid, and brainy mix of biography and art history."
—Booklist (starred review)
"An absorbing study of a disappearing masterpiece … King places the painting in its political, social and artistic context, describing both the meaning of da Vinci's work and the violent 15th-century Italian world that spawned it … King plumbs the painting's religious, secular, psychological and political meanings, registered in the facial expressions and hand positions, the significance of the food on the table and, most fascinatingly, the salt spilled by the betraying Judas … King's book is an impressive restoration—the author helps readers see this painting for the first time."
—Kirkus (starred review)
September 9, 2014
I know Leonardo was a genius. I know Leonardo was a great artist. I know Leonardo had ideas that were far ahead of his time. And I like the way Ross King, in his work “Leonardo and the Last Supper” reminds me that I know all that. However, I like even more how King points out the things Leonardo did that perhaps belie his genius, or at least humanize the man. My particular favorite is how Leonardo used to write backwards script most of the time, not to encrypt his journals (as I had previously read), but because he was left-handed and it was just easier to write that way. I'm left-handed, and despite all the corrections from the nuns that peppered my childhood, I routinely rotate the page 90 degrees and write top-to-bottom because it is easier. Sometimes when I feel like it I write backwards because it is even easier. I understand. What makes this my favorite Leonardo-is-human fact is how on one occasion when he did wish to encode a few words in his journal Leonardo wrote those words “backwards” relative to his usual backwards script – he wrote them forwards. Ecin!
I also empathize with how Leonardo seemed to have difficulty finishi
I also empathize with how Leonardo seemed to have difficulty finishi
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2019
I started this book thinking I would be reading about the painting of the Last Supper. If that's all the book had been about, it would have taken maybe two chapters.
Instead, the book was a mishmash of items totally unrelated to the Last Supper including war in Italy, clothes Leonardo and his assistants wore, how many children and wives his father had, what diseases people had, and what Leonardo's sexual orientation might have been.
It also seems like every other sentence had the word "maybe", "assume", "possible", "no evidence exists but..." or the like in it; there were more assumptions in the book by far than there were actual facts.
In short, I only finished the book because I had started it, not because it was one I particularly enjoyed. Reader, beware.
Instead, the book was a mishmash of items totally unrelated to the Last Supper including war in Italy, clothes Leonardo and his assistants wore, how many children and wives his father had, what diseases people had, and what Leonardo's sexual orientation might have been.
It also seems like every other sentence had the word "maybe", "assume", "possible", "no evidence exists but..." or the like in it; there were more assumptions in the book by far than there were actual facts.
In short, I only finished the book because I had started it, not because it was one I particularly enjoyed. Reader, beware.
October 17, 2013
This book seems a bit scattered. It doesn't really delve into the painting itself except in about three chapters towards the middle t3/4ths and a few bits here and there. It randomly selects other things from Leonardo's life and works, which to some may be amusing, but to me made the work feel less on point. I appreciate the information and much of it was new to me and always enjoy reading about Leonardo in general.
April 10, 2020
Lots of Italian Renaissance history, related to Leonardo only because he lived during that time and his patrons were of the elite class affected by the politics. I don't think Leonardo himself much cared about the politics.
When there was discussion of how Leonardo actually worked or what his symbolism in his paintings meant, things got interesting. The history part...not my thing.
When there was discussion of how Leonardo actually worked or what his symbolism in his paintings meant, things got interesting. The history part...not my thing.
July 20, 2019
Ross King has once again produced a fabulously entertaining book about a major work of art that answers most of the questions that will come into the mind of a tourist of my ilk. His lively text masks the fact that he is always very cautious and orthodox in his comments.
In many ways, "Leonardo and the Last Supper" is the unhappy doppelganger of King's earlier work "Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling" (2002). Both works were about major frescoes of the Italian Renaissance. The tone of "Leonardo and the Last Supper" is much less jubiliatory. King writes joyously about Michelangelo and his patron Pope Julius both of whom he admires greatly. He has much less enthousiasm for Leonardo and Ludovico Sforza. King sees Michelangelo as an artist who made full use of his tremendous talent. In contrast Leonardo dithered, delayed and failed to complete many commissions. Michelangelo knew nothing about fresco painting before he started the Sistine Chapel project but he hired the best fresco painters available to teach him the technique. Leonardo barged ahead without help and produced a work that quickly fell apart. King lavishes praise on Michelangelo's patron Pope Julius for his courage as a warrior and moral rectitude. In case of Ludovico Sforza, the patron of Leonardo, Ross King chooses to say that he was less of a blackguard that some historians have claimed and that he was very loyal to Leonardo who constantly let him down by not finishing projects. King is probably right on all counts, but the book on Leondardo is quite morose in comparison to his work on Michelangelo.
King was also hampered by a lack of resources in writing his book on the "Last Supper". An abundance of sketches and cartoons have survived fromt the Sistine Chapel project that allow the art historian to determine the intentions and thought patterns of Michelangelo. With very few surviving sketches and no cartoons from the, King was forced to elucidate the "Last Supper" by comparing figures in it to those of other works either by Leonardo or those of contemporaries that Leonardo would have been familiar with. As consequence, King's analyis of the "Last Supper" is noticeably more contorted than that of the Sistince Chapel fresco. Ultimately, I believe that his conclusions are as solid but his arguments are more complicated.
"Leonardo and the Last Supper" is the work of a very intelligent art critic who has spent a life-time studying the Italian Renaissance. I see very little evidence that Mr. King did not much reserch specifically for this project. He appears rather to present conclusions that he had arrived at ten or twelve years earlier and to have conducted a review of the current academic literature to confirm that his ideas still held up. The result is a fine book but not one that merits any more than three stars.
For some reason, this very light work received the 2012 Governor General's award. One has to think that the jury was wishing to rectify its error at not having given Mr. King the award two yeas earlier for his vastly superior "Defiant Spirits".
In many ways, "Leonardo and the Last Supper" is the unhappy doppelganger of King's earlier work "Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling" (2002). Both works were about major frescoes of the Italian Renaissance. The tone of "Leonardo and the Last Supper" is much less jubiliatory. King writes joyously about Michelangelo and his patron Pope Julius both of whom he admires greatly. He has much less enthousiasm for Leonardo and Ludovico Sforza. King sees Michelangelo as an artist who made full use of his tremendous talent. In contrast Leonardo dithered, delayed and failed to complete many commissions. Michelangelo knew nothing about fresco painting before he started the Sistine Chapel project but he hired the best fresco painters available to teach him the technique. Leonardo barged ahead without help and produced a work that quickly fell apart. King lavishes praise on Michelangelo's patron Pope Julius for his courage as a warrior and moral rectitude. In case of Ludovico Sforza, the patron of Leonardo, Ross King chooses to say that he was less of a blackguard that some historians have claimed and that he was very loyal to Leonardo who constantly let him down by not finishing projects. King is probably right on all counts, but the book on Leondardo is quite morose in comparison to his work on Michelangelo.
King was also hampered by a lack of resources in writing his book on the "Last Supper". An abundance of sketches and cartoons have survived fromt the Sistine Chapel project that allow the art historian to determine the intentions and thought patterns of Michelangelo. With very few surviving sketches and no cartoons from the, King was forced to elucidate the "Last Supper" by comparing figures in it to those of other works either by Leonardo or those of contemporaries that Leonardo would have been familiar with. As consequence, King's analyis of the "Last Supper" is noticeably more contorted than that of the Sistince Chapel fresco. Ultimately, I believe that his conclusions are as solid but his arguments are more complicated.
"Leonardo and the Last Supper" is the work of a very intelligent art critic who has spent a life-time studying the Italian Renaissance. I see very little evidence that Mr. King did not much reserch specifically for this project. He appears rather to present conclusions that he had arrived at ten or twelve years earlier and to have conducted a review of the current academic literature to confirm that his ideas still held up. The result is a fine book but not one that merits any more than three stars.
For some reason, this very light work received the 2012 Governor General's award. One has to think that the jury was wishing to rectify its error at not having given Mr. King the award two yeas earlier for his vastly superior "Defiant Spirits".
May 9, 2025
This book is a brief biography of the life of Leonardo da Vinci and the events leading up to his painting of the fresco The Last Supper in the refectory (dining hall) of the Santa Maria delle Grazie monastery in Milan. King reveals the difficulties of working with the primary sources: there are few to begin with, and there are crucial gaps between documents. This forces him to be speculative in much of the narrative. He does an outstanding job of describing the technical aspects of creating art in the 15th century, particularly the process of creating frescoes. The backdrop to the story is the political and military events in Italy. Leonardo’s patron, Lodovico Sforza, formed an alliance known as the Holy League with the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian I, Pope Alexander VI, and Spain to oppose the invasion of Charles VIII of France. Also intertwined in the story are the travails of the de Medici dynasty in Florence.
King ends the book with a detailed analysis of the painting itself. He focuses on the organization of the work centered on Christ and containing four sets of three disciples. The likenesses of the figures were likely drawn from models, associates, or random strangers da Vinci encountered when he went into certain parts of Milan looking for a specific type. The hand gestures are another feature of the work that distinguishes its greatness, and King describes this in great detail. The book ends with a “rest-of-the-story” accounting of the painting's deterioration and restoration. Leonardo’s style created a masterpiece, but his innovative method was not effective and began to break down almost immediately. The painting barely survived rampaging hordes, botched restoration efforts, and a bombing in World War II. Finally, in the late 1980s, a high-tech restoration salvaged the artwork.
King ends the book with a detailed analysis of the painting itself. He focuses on the organization of the work centered on Christ and containing four sets of three disciples. The likenesses of the figures were likely drawn from models, associates, or random strangers da Vinci encountered when he went into certain parts of Milan looking for a specific type. The hand gestures are another feature of the work that distinguishes its greatness, and King describes this in great detail. The book ends with a “rest-of-the-story” accounting of the painting's deterioration and restoration. Leonardo’s style created a masterpiece, but his innovative method was not effective and began to break down almost immediately. The painting barely survived rampaging hordes, botched restoration efforts, and a bombing in World War II. Finally, in the late 1980s, a high-tech restoration salvaged the artwork.
April 25, 2019
Sedert ik ergens in de vroege jaren 80 (van de vorige eeuw) de abdij van Tongerlo bezocht (bezinning met de mede-studenten), alwaar we een replica zagen van het beroemde werk van Da Vinci, wou ik meer weten over deze muurschildering.
Het boek van Ross King is een uitstekende introductie tot Leonardo Da Vinci, zijn leven, zijn werken, de tijd waarin hij leefde en vooral zijn muurschildering van het laatste avondmaal (met interessante uitweidingen) in de kloosterrefter in het Santa Maria Della Grazie in Milaan.
Minpuntjes zijn de vrij archaïsche vertaling, het wel eens foute gebruik van leestekens en het occasioneel verwisselen van links en rechts ;-)
Het boek van Ross King is een uitstekende introductie tot Leonardo Da Vinci, zijn leven, zijn werken, de tijd waarin hij leefde en vooral zijn muurschildering van het laatste avondmaal (met interessante uitweidingen) in de kloosterrefter in het Santa Maria Della Grazie in Milaan.
Minpuntjes zijn de vrij archaïsche vertaling, het wel eens foute gebruik van leestekens en het occasioneel verwisselen van links en rechts ;-)
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