Leonardo Di Vinci is probably one of the most famous artist that emerged out of the Italian Renaissance. He was fascinated by a variety of academic subjects outside of his artistic pursuit. He traveled all over Italy completing work for some of the most powerful families at the time. People can recognize his unique style on sight. Some can name and describe several of his most famous masterpieces. I personally love his unique style towards painting and pursuing several subjects of study. So when I landed in the city of Milan this summer, I was determined to see one of his most famous pieces of work. This master piece was the Last Supper in the Convent of Santa Maria.

The Convent of Santa Maria host many artifacts that barely survived the bombing World War 2. If you look at the fresco above, you can see the level of elegance some of their pieces contain. The best part of the above fresco, it was created in the typically style of Italian Renaissance (painting on wet plaster). It was also being painted at the same time that Leonardo Da Vinci was painting the Last Supper. Cool! Now onto what we were really here for.

The Last Supper is giant fresco painted by Leonardo Da Vinci. It is gigantic in person. You can see the tiny brush strokes that create the distinct faces of each religious figure. The table is covered in plenty of food and drink. You can see where there once was painted tapestry in the painting. I can imagine just how beautiful it was once it was finished. However, there was one big surprised.

The Last Supper shows the wear of time. It has cracked and peeled in various places. It has even been restored multiple times. Compared to the first fresco shown this painting is in worse shape. Why? Well it has to do with the experimental art style Leonardo was trying. He was painting on dry plaster vs the wet plaster that others were using. Leonardo was an innovator so it doesn’t surprise me that he was trying new techniques while he was painting the Last Supper. It is just sad that this experiment means it will not be around forever. So if you are a Leonardo fan or Italian Renaissance art fan, make sure to visit the Last Supper for you never know when it will no longer be around.