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Leonardo’s “The Last Supper” and Tintoretto’s “The Last Supper”, Essay Example

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Both Leonardo’s “The Last Supper” and Tintoretto’s “The Last Supper” deal with the Gospel of John 13:21 from the Bible. In this gospel, Jesus Christ is depicted, along with his apostles, having the last supper he will ever have. This last supper will be so because on that same night, Jesus Christ will be betrayed by one of his twelve apostles and be turned over to the Romans. Despite the fact that both of these paintings deal with the same scenario in history, they differ in the kind of meaning that the artists attempt to convey.

To begin with, Leonardo’s “The Last Supper” immediately portrays Jesus Christ’s apostles acting in a surprised manner. In accordance to the Gospel reading referenced above, this reaction might have been due to the shocking news that Jesus Christ shared with his friends. The fact that one of them would turn Jesus Christ over to the Romans for him to die was completely taboo, considering the fact that the disciples were fully devoted to following Jesus Christ and trying to be like him more and more every single day. Another aspect of the painting that is clearly seen is Judas. In the Bible, it is stated that Judas is the apostle who eventually betrays Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver. In the painting, it is clearly seen how Leonardo willingly portrayed Judas with a bag in his right hand. It is without a doubt that this bag represents the thirty pieces of silver that Judas received from betraying Jesus Christ. In addition to this clear portrayal, there is something else that the naked eye might miss at first glance. Judas’ head is also placed in a lower position than anyone in the picture. This serves as an indicator that Judas will be the one who betrays Jesus Christ later on in the night.

Despite the fact that Tintoretto’s “The Last Supper” is often criticized for its lack of realism, the painting contains just as many hidden secrets. No necessarily a secret, but one can immediately see that the setting in which the Last Supper takes place is in mid-darkness. After extensive research, some sources have gone as far as to say that the darkness represents the kind of ignorance that there is in the human world without the knowledge of Jesus Christ. The story behind this is that the apostles promised Jesus Christ that even after he was gone, they would go out into the ignorant world and instruct everyone on his many teachings so that the world might not be so ignorant in the future. In addition to the blackness, the picture also has individuals around the table; they represent the individuals in the world who are ignorant at best. Aside from all of the ignorance that is being portrayed within this painting, flying images are seen in the painting, probably representing the flying angels who may be present at the Last Supper.

Despite the fact that both paintings deal with the same scenario in history, they differ in the kind of meaning that the artists attempt to convey. In my opinion, both Leonardo and Tintoretto did a magnificent job of portraying hidden messages within their paintings. This is justified by the manner in which Leonardo was able to subtly show Judas as the real traitor, the manner in which Tintoretto was able to show Jesus as the Son of God by having angels hovering over the dinner table, and the manner in which both painters were able to use the kinds of colors that they used within their paintings to show special messages. All in all, both of the paintings proved to be exemplary because of the great meanings that they are able to convey and the kind of metaphors that are hidden within the context of the paintings.

References

The Last Supper by Jacopo Robusti Tintoretto. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bachelorandmaster.com/artsandpaintings/The-Last-Supper-by-Jacopo-Robusti-Tintoretto.html#.VS_ggxPF88Y

Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci: Meaning, Interpretation. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-paintings/last-supper-leonardo-davinci.htm