The Last Supper
Leonardo turns Christ's announcement of betrayal into a wave of reactions across thirteen figures. The wall painting remains in the Dominican refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, where it was made.
- 1494–1498
- Tempera and oil on dry plaster
About Leonardo da Vinci
One sentence breaks the table apart
Christ has announced that one of the apostles will betray him. The statement travels outward as shock, protest, suspicion, and whispered questions. Leonardo groups the apostles in fours sets of three, giving each person a distinct reaction while preserving one long table and one continuous room.
Christ remains the still centre. The lines of the ceiling and walls converge behind his head, and the window opens onto a quiet landscape. Everything around him moves—hands reach, bodies twist, faces turn—while his triangular figure holds the composition in place.
Leonardo made emotion visible through bodies
The official museum describes the work through Leonardo's interest in the 'motions of the soul': inner feeling made visible through posture, gesture, and expression. No two apostles respond in exactly the same way. Their hands are as important as their faces.
Judas sits within the group rather than alone on the opposite side of the table. He draws back into shadow while gripping a small bag. That decision makes betrayal part of the human confusion in the room, not an isolated symbol placed outside it.
Why the Last Supper began deteriorating so quickly
The Last Supper is often called a fresco, but Leonardo did not paint into wet plaster in the traditional fresco method. He applied pigments to a dry, prepared wall so he could work slowly, revise forms, and build delicate effects. The colour remained on the surface instead of becoming part of the plaster.
That freedom came at a cost. The museum records that deterioration was noticed within decades, and later restorations sometimes covered Leonardo's surviving paint. A major conservation campaign from 1977 to 1999 removed later overpainting where possible and stabilized what remained.
The wall survived war; visits are now tightly controlled
An Allied air raid in 1943 destroyed much of the refectory around the protected wall, but the Last Supper survived. Its fragility now shapes the visit: filtered air, limited groups, and timed admission help control humidity and pollution.
The painting remains in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, now the Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano. Advance reservations are required and the museum currently limits visits to fifteen minutes. Check the official site for current rules before planning a trip.
For the same artist working at a completely different scale, compare this 8.8-metre wall with the portable panels of Virgin of the Rocks, Saint John the Baptist, and the Mona Lisa.
Timeline
1494–1498
Leonardo paints the Last Supper on the refectory wall of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
1517
A visitor records that deterioration has already begun.
1943
Bombing destroys much of the refectory, but the protected painting wall survives.
1977–1999
A major conservation campaign led by Pinin Brambilla Barcilon stabilizes and clarifies the surviving original paint.
Frequently asked questions
Is Leonardo's Last Supper a fresco?
Not in the traditional sense. Leonardo painted on dry prepared plaster so he could work slowly and revise the image. Because the pigments stayed near the surface, the wall painting began deteriorating unusually early.
What moment does the Last Supper show?
It shows the apostles reacting after Christ announces that one of them will betray him. Leonardo uses their gestures and expressions to turn the sentence into a wave of emotion across the table.
Where is Leonardo's Last Supper?
It is still on the wall of the former Dominican refectory at Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, now the Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano. Advance reservations are required.
How big is the Last Supper?
The official museum records the wall painting as 460 centimetres high and 880 centimetres wide—about 15 by 28.9 feet.
