The Last Supper by da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian painter, inventor, and illustrator. A Renaissance man, he displayed insight and expertise in several sciences such as botany, anatomy, engineering, and architecture. His widely known for his Mona Lisa, the Vitruvian Man and the Last Supper.  Circa 1495,  Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan commissioned Leonardo da Vinci to complete a painting for the refectory of the Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan, Italy.  The Last Supper  is 4.6 by 8.8 meters (roughly 15 by 29 feet).  Leonardo used tempera gesso over a ground to paint the work.  Tempera gesso involves using white paint mixture consisting of a binder mixed with chalk, gypsum, pigment, and oil painted over wood or a Masonite material.  The mixture dries quickly and the oil adheres the pigment to the wall.  

In the first four books of the Gospel, which consist of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the bible reports that at their final gathering before the crucifixion,  Jesus and the Apostles, enjoyed a supper and he revels he will be betrayed by one of them.  The entire dramatic event becomes one of the main source of Christian faith, the Eucharist or Holy communion, where believers re-enact the last supper as an expression of faith and of obedience to Christ.

Leonardo da Vinci captures the drama and enlightenment of Jesus final gathering with the Last Supper.  Leonardo takes a realistic approach with his subjects: All are drawn slightly oversized compared to real life dimensions.  Jesus, as the main subject, is balanced as the center of the painting.  This is conveyed in the number of disciples to his right and left; and with the windows behind him; and the line of the walls and the table.   Further,  each disciple is drawn in the act of conversing, arguing and discussing with hand gestures and turned heads.  Leonardo's insight into the art of individuals conversing is done beautifully and expressed the drama fully in the Last Supper.

Sources:

King, Ross (2012-10-30). Leonardo and the Last Supper (p. 54). Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. Kindle Edition.

Kirof, Blago (2013-01-31). Leonardo da Vinci Paintings: Annotated (Kindle Locations 40-41).  Kindle Edition.

Da Vinci, Leonardo (2012-02-14). Leonardo Da Vinci's Collection (Illustrated): The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci (Volume 1 And Volume 2), Thoughts On Art And Life (Kindle Locations 422-423). Kindle Edition.