The Last Supper

by Ghirlandaio

The Last Supper
1480-82
Painting

Details

For the first time, the vaulted space in which the meal is taking place has architectural features.The progress in depicting the emotional states of the Apostles, goes in parallel with the progress in the use of the expressive potentiality of perspective and the use of its capacity to produce accurate trompe l'oeil effects that will enhance the sense of drama in the mind of the viewers. 

About This Artwork

Ghirlandaio's  "The Last Supper"  has nearly all the figures, including the centrally-placed Christ (with his favorite discipline, John, leaning sleepily on his shoulder), facing the viewer, and Judas physically separated from the group by being seated on the viewer's (near) side of the table.  Christ and the apostles, weighty and dense, are portrayed as young, old and middle-aged, each with his own distinct appearance, which anticipates the sharp realism of later works by Ghirlandaio.

This Fresco is in Cenacolo di Ognissanti, Florence 

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