renaissance

Kiana Alzate

This painting is called "The Last Supper" by Domenico Ghirlandaio (fresco 400 x 880cm; 1480; Ognissanti, Florence). I really liked his version in contrast to Leonardo Da Vinci's version, which is hanging on the wall in my grandparents house, and arguably the more popular version or presentation of the moment Christ was arrested for his betrayal. 

There are many things to point out about this painting, especially the depth, which is seems to be the focus of not just technique of the painting, but also the moment he was capturing. I read that this was the moment before his arrest, and the body language, the emotion and the perspective of the last supper is put in a larger context, thus consequently a larger space. Judas is the only one in front of the table, and John is the one on Jesus' chest. Jesus is also not central to the painting, but rather slightly to the left. The room and table is central to the painting, where the white arches lead the eye to the center of the room and table where Jesus sits, he is still off-center. 

What I find myself doing is paying attention to the two significant ways Ghirlandaio utilized depth and this space: 1) extended the room past the table, and above the table; and 2) pushed us back far enough with the extension that we see up towards the ceiling, then outward. 

His use of dimension through to the ceiling defines a unique vantage point. It makes me wonder whether or not the painter/viewer's ears could hear what they were saying at the table. Therefore, this version seems to be more accurate on historical count, where we don't really know what was said, or who looked what way because the moment was more private and smaller than what happened later that night when he was arrested for his betrayal.