The Last Supper and the Book of Genesis

The Last Supper and The Book Of Genesis

Scott Stevens

April 5,2015

Art 110

Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the most prominent men in history and was the creator of many new ideas. He created many works of art and invented many new technologies that would be considered extreme for the time period.  One of the biggest works of art he completed was “The Last Supper”. This painting, done in fresco, plays a significant role in Christianity and depicts Jesus with his disciples.  Along with “The Last Supper”, The Book of Genesis was produced to influence belief on a group of individuals. These works of art are cemented in history and can be connected to each other by their significant individual affects on human existence.  “The Last Supper” and the creation story in The Book of Genesis are connected to one another by theology and both share themes such as creationism and humanism.  

To understand how these individual pieces of work are connected to each other, one must first breakdown why these works of art were created. The Last Supper is one of the most thought-provoking and controversial works of Leonardo da Vinci. It is a mural painting, which means that it is directly painted on a wall, and is created by Leonardo in Milan from 1495 till 1498.^[1] Da Vinci painted it for his patron Duke Ludovico Sforza who decided that he wanted this religious scene painted. The Last Supper measures 15 feet × 29 feet and covers the back wall of the dining hall at Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy.^[2] Leonardo spent 3 years painting it because of its measurements but actually he did not work on it continuously throughout this period.^[3]

The Book of Genesis was written by unknown authors and is the first book of the Old Testament.  Some historians believe that this book, along with others in The Old Testament, is a historical lesson that seeks to explain the creation of man, earth, and life.  There are fifty chapters in The Book of Genesis and each one has its own message to its readers.^[4] The messages that are portrayed in The Book of Genesis are echoed throughout time. This section of the Bible echo’s God’s words.

Theology is the major theme that both The Book of Genesis and “The Last Super” share and this theme has made these works of art stand out through history. "The Last Supper" was a very powerful Biblical event that shaped the course of the future of Jesus. Knowing this importance, Leonardo Da Vinci began to paint one of his most famous works, "The Last Supper", on this theme.  Leonardo's, "The Last Supper" is an irreplaceable piece of art with much hidden meaning. The remembrance of "The Last Supper" could be due to the sacredness of the final meal and this final meal signifies what Jesus enlightened the Apostles the night before his death. According to Luke, Jesus blessed bread and broke it and told the disciples, "Take, eat; this is my body."^[5] He then delivered a cup of wine to them saying, "This is my blood."