Trivia / The Last Supper

The painting:

• Executive Meddling: A story about the creation of the painting claims that one of the friars overseeing it was tired of enduring Leonardo's lengthy production and demanded he finished the painting. Leonardo insisted he needed to find the right face for the final apostle, and after several times being insulted by the friar, angrily claimed that the friar's face was looking more and more fitting for the last apostle: Judas Iscariot. The friar backed down and let Leonardo finish the piece.
• Missing Episode:
  • While the painting has survived environmental damage, target practice from Napoleonic soldiers, and a WWII bombing run, most of the original paint Leonardo used has been lost and parts of the painting are obfuscated or damaged. Several restoration efforts have been made to combat the portrait's decay, but these efforts have been accused of replacing the original painting with an imitation.
  • The bottom part of the portrait, which notably shows Jesus's feet, was so damaged that it was removed in favor of putting another door in the chapel, preventing any type of restoration for that part of the portrait.
• Obvious Judas: Judas is that one guy framed in shadow and leaning away from Jesus, spilling salt (a bad omen) all over the table.
• Referenced by...:
  • The painting has become a Stock Parody by this point, and has a page dedicated to imitations of it.
  • The actual painting is a plot element in The Da Vinci Code since John's feminine appearance is a key piece of evidence for the book's fictional conspiracy.
  • The Rage Against the Heavens aspect of the painting is briefly discussed five minutes into this video.
    Dr. Steven Zucker: There's that incredible grouping of Thomas pointing upward.
    Dr. Beth Harris: As if to say, is this something that is ordained by God? Is this God's plan, that one of us should betray you?
• Schedule Slip: Leonardo was highly irregular when working on the portrait. It's said some days he would work throughout the whole day without eating just to paint, while others he would walk in, stare intensely at the painting, and contribute a single brush stroke before heading out. It ultimately took three years to make.
• Viewer Gender Confusion: Leonardo's depiction of John is often mistaken for a woman due to Leonardo's attempt to convey youth through John's long hair and lack of a beard. This confusion has led to wild mass guessing that Leonardo's John is supposed to be a depiction of Mary of Magdala, although this idea leaves Jesus with an Apostle missing from his supper.

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