the Last Supper

Leonardo di Vinci - The Last Supper (1498)

Perspective is a tool for the representation of depth in space. But it can emphasize meaning too. In the “Last Supper,” Leonardo da Vinci painted the walls and ceiling of the room receding to a vanishing point which coincides with the head of Christ. It is both vanishing point and the focal point of the whole composition. The window further emphasizes him, as does the arc above it, which is also centered on his head. In addition, Leonardo worked out a geometric organization for the picture, in which the figure of Christ is an equilateral triangle, his head the apex, his hands the two points. This triangle expresses the completeness of Christ, and is also a symbol of the Trinity. The only other triangular figure is that of Judas, to our left, a right triangle resting on one side, its hypotenuse slanting away from the Christ figure. Thus Leonardo withdraws Judas, the betrayer, from Christ, the betrayed. The other apostles gesture violently, yet are restrained in semicircular groups, emphasizing their inability to break out of the framework of their lives and engage in positive action. Christ is set apart, alone in the middle. Thus scientific perspective and geometric order serve the meaning of the picture.