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.

Automat by Edward Hopper

Edward Hopper (1882–1967) was a American realism painter, mostly known for his still-life type paintings and illustrations of American culture. Realism is the attempt to portray subject matter with a photographic precision.  Normally, there is nothing exotic or supernatural about realistic painters works. Only the daily mundane barrage of life is drawn and expressed. For the bulk of Hopper's works, the most evident feeling or emotion emanating from his paintings is the constant loneliness.  The lone figure displaying no action but a moment that can be described as a deep sigh brought on from trying to outwit loneliness.  One of his better known paintings, Automat (c. 1927), shows an alone woman dressed attractively as if she is waiting for someone or just having a cup of coffee alone. Some evidence of what the artist is trying to express can be noticed in the position of the opposite chair, that it is tucked in and not slanted out as if someone had been sitting there.  Also, the reflection of the automat 's ceiling lights with the absence of anything else being viewed in the painting seems to imply a state of being alone and uneasiness.   When compared with Van Gogh's style, there are no swirls of colors to convey emotion or to reveal an hidden meaning, its seems overly straightforward (illustrated) and realistic setting.  Hopper's pattern of displaying common scenes with a singular person being alone seems to be a criticism of an inherent loneliness of everyday life.  

Automat c. 1927

Hopper's preoccupation with loneliness is evident in Eleven AM c. 1926 and Gayle on the F Train c. 1971.

Eleven AM  c.1926

Gayle on the F Train 

The Scream by Edvard Munch

Edvard Munch (1863 – 1944) was a Norwegian symbolist painter. He is well known for his psychologically charged paintings that displayed a singular intense emotion.  He most recognized work, The Scream, actively describes a wavy dark figure with a pale face walking along a bridge that oversees a body of water.  The intense feeling of horror, or shock emitting from the figure is immediately evident.  The eyes and facial expression with hands clasping the sides of his face forms a strong symbol of real horror.  The expression of emotion is created by Munch thru the use of line. The wavy form of the main figure contrasted with the straight line of the bridge and distant figures behind him vividly infers something that is only sensed by the wavy figure.  The two figures on the walkway are drawn with straight lines, and are expressed as real elements.  In addition, notice how the walkway is drawn straight to lead the viewer into the painting.  The sky is expressed with wavy lines and unnatural color.  The audience gets the feeling the expressed emotion is infectious with way the wavy line moves into the sea near the figure when contrasted with the walkway and the two figures.

The Bather by Edgar Degas

Edgar Degas (1834–1917) was a French impressionist painter but was more of  a precursor to the French bohemian movement during the late 1800's. He was known mostly for his expressions of modern life and female nudes.  In the Bather,  Degas uses pastels, a chalk medium, to create a high quality with a unfinish or rough appearance. Also, He uses a private moment not seen nor made aware of anyone but the subject.  His technique creates a keyhole view point with his subject and the audience would feel a sense of catching a rare glimpse of beauty.  When compared to the standard studio nude painings during his time, Degas' approach and the use of pastels, instead of brush and oil paints, was a shift into a bohemian culture and expression.   

Self-Portrait 1889 by Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh (1853 – 1890) was a Dutch post-impressionist painter but the most of his time near Paris and its countryside. His self portrait circa 1889 offers an insightful glimpse into the artist's mind.  The swirling background, burnt orange beard, and the use of blue for the background and foreground color (his suit) are the major elements expressing the artist's opinion of his mind.  One could interpret the swirling background as confused energy or uncontrollable urges.  The orange represents the realistic color of his beard and is the only other color used besides the blue.  The blue could be an expression of the artist's cool, and relaxed side of his personality  while the orange could express an often occuring rage. But, maybe not.  Nice painting.  It can be found at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Holland.