The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci and Jacopo Tintoretto - Term Paper Example

Analysis of The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci and Jacopo Tintoretto The Last Supper with Jesus Christ is essential for Christianity. For this reason, various artists have tried to address this subject in their work. Italian artists Leonardo da Vinci and Jacopo Tintoretto were no exception. Their works titled The Last Supper gained worldwide fame. However, their value is determined not only by their artistic aesthetic but also by their significance within such historical periods as Humanism and the Protestant Reformation. The influence of Humanism is clearly observed in Da Vinci’s work. In turn, some ideas of the Protestant Reformation can be found in the picture by Tintoretto. In general, in his work, Da Vinci has focused primarily on the relationship between Jesus and his disciples, trying to depict the contrast between the divine and human natures, while Tintoretto showed the dynamic reality in which people and angels harmoniously coexist. Focusing on the theme of the last days of Christs life, Leonardo da Vinci makes it clear that the ideals of humanism are extremely important to him. The compositional structure of the painting created between 1495 and 1498 corresponds to the aesthetic principles of humanism. The symmetrical organization of the picture confirm this. Jesus is the central figure and six of the apostles are sitting on the left and right of him. In general, the apostles are divided into four groups of three. Behind Jesus, one can see three windows that visually enlarge the space, while there are four doors or curtains on the left and right sides of the picture. All this is consistent with the principles of humanity in relation to the organization of the space. However, the influence of humanism is not limited to these items. Its main value is observed in a special emotionality of the images. Da Vinci has made a special emphasis on the reaction of the apostles in response to Jesus words about the fact that one of them would betray him. The phrase “One of you will betray me” causes a different reaction from all the apostles and this reaction is expressed by a variety of their gestures and facial expressions. In other words, “together with facial attributes and expressions these gestures depict the essential character of each apostle” (Ladwein 35). “These reactions are quite specific to each apostle, expressing what Leonardo called the ‘motions of the mind” (Carmen). On the other hand, in spite of the expressivity of these images, the painting shows a certain order, and even the harmony that is largely due to the central position of Jesus Christ. In this regard, their images play the role of the contrast between Jesus and the apostles and allow ensuring the fundamental difference between the divine and perfect nature of Jesus and human and imperfect nature of his apostles. This can be verified by analyzing the image of Judas Iscariot, and the other apostles. Leonardo does not remove Judah from all the other participants of the Last Supper, but he provides the ‘signals’ that enable the viewer to see the vicious and vile nature of Judah capable of terrible betrayal. The artist depicts the treacherous coins in the bag and sprinkled salt. Christs words have hooked the other members of the Last Supper since the people sitting on the left hand of Christ are united by a single impulse. Philip demonstrates the great surprise and shock, while the hand of Thomas is lifted up for he cannot believe Christs words. The rest of the apostles also express bewilderment, surprise and even shock. In turn, the ugly profile of Judas contrasts with the pure face of the teacher. Moreover, his head seems to be much smaller than the head of the other apostles. Using this technique, Leonardo emphasizes the idea of the insignificance of Judas whose treacherous act has no justification. Using his artistic talent Leonardo underlines the sharp contrast between Jesus and his disciples first of all, Judas. The viewer has the opportunity to see a huge difference between the light nature of Jesus that consists of humility, gentleness and purity, and a fallen human nature in the image of Judas. Humanistic principles focusing on realistic images of human emotions allow Leonardo to express his main idea of ​​the high status of Jesus Christ as a great teacher and savior who gave his life for the people. To some extent, Leonardos work is devoted not to the life but rather to the death of Jesus. Indeed, his face does not express joy, because he knows his fate; he knows about the betrayal of one of his disciples. In comparison with Leonardo’s work, Tintoretto’s picture is full of dynamism and movement. The Last Supper by Tintoretto corresponds to the Baroque conception of mysticism as a major component of human life. It was created between 1592 and 1594. However, one can also observe the ideas of the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant Reformation can be seen as a period of passionate struggle for the true Christian values ​​proclaiming a direct link between the people and God. In this regard, such sacraments as the Eucharist has received a particularly important status within the Protestant religion (Rosario). In fact, it was particularly important due to the fact that it was considered as evidence of the continuation of the life of Jesus through human faith. In fact, “the Eucharist has formed a central rite of Christian worship” (“Eucharist”). In this regard, the rite of the breaking of bread and drinking the wine symbolizing the body and blood of Jesus was also a source for artistic inspiration. In this sense, Tintoretto’s artistic task is very different from that of Leonardo. Unlike Leonardo, who was trying to convey the contrast between Jesus and his apostles, Tintoretto focuses on the general dynamism of the Last Supper. He is trying to convey the Last Supper not as the last day of the life of Jesus, but rather as the beginning of his eternal life in the hearts of his disciples. For this reason, it is quite difficult to distinguish between the apostles. The work of this artist sings the eternal life of Christ and the presence of the angels, the creatures who do not know death is the evidence of this. It can be said that “while Leonardo focuses on the human element of the Last Supper—the moment when Jesus acknowledges his impending betrayal— Tintoretto illustrates the miraculous moment when Jesus initiates the sacrament by which the bread and wine become his flesh and blood” (Fiero 513). To sum up, the comparative analysis of the two paintings allows one to see the transition from one era to another, namely from the era of humanism to the era of the Protestant Reformation. The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci is primarily a desire to show the uniqueness of the divine nature of Jesus Christ on the background of his comparison with human nature embodied in the images of the twelve apostles. Jesus expresses the divine purity, humility and sadness because he knows that one of his disciples would betray him. Artistic principles of humanism allow Leonardo to focus on the emotional individuality of each of the apostles and thus to show a distinctive difference between Jesus and the people. Jesus is the center of the picture, and despite the special emotionality of all the apostles, Jesus defines the static character of the picture. In turn, The Last Supper by Jacopo Tintoretto focuses on the ritual of the Eucharist, which is perceived as a symbol of life. The painting is full of dynamism and movement, and the authors intent is primarily aimed at the depiction of a Protestant idea of direct communication between God and human beings. Works Cited Bambach, Carmen. "Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000. Web. 18 Sept.2015. “Eucharist.” Encyclopedia Britannica. n.d. Web. 18 Sept.2015. Fiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition, 5th ed. New York: Brown (William C.) Co., 1992. Print. Ladwein, Michael. Leonardo Da Vinci, the Last Supper: A Cosmic Drama and an Act of Redemption. The Square Forest Row, RH: Temple Lodge Publishing, 2006. Print. Rosario, Mikel Del. “7 Key Differences between Protestant and Catholic Doctrine.” Dallas Theological Seminary. 2014. Web. 18 Sept.2015. Read More