(ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS, LONDON) By GILDA PINEDA DIONELA KINGDOM ADVENTURE There were several paintings already available depicting the Lord’s Supper before Leonardo Da Vinci painted his obra maestra in the refectory of the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milano. He worked on it from 1495 to 1498. All the previous paintings done by different artists depicted Jesus and the disciples as saints or holy by placing halo on their heads. But not Da Vinci. Da Vinci’s version is considered first in many aspects, one of which is an accurate presentation of linear perspective, parallel lines that close in at a single vanishing point to generate the fantasy of depth on a flat surface. He abandoned the conventional method of fresco painting. Instead, he painted on drywall with a combination of egg tempera and oil paint onto a ground of chalk stuck with glue. Over time this method proved to deteriorate fast, and the paint began to flake soon after the mural was completed. Several restorations were made to preserve the work of Da Vinci. It is one of the most celebrated artworks in the world found in the original location. There are three copies that exist today believed to be painted by his three assistants or students: 1. Royal Academy of Arts in London by Giampietrino (1515-1520) the main guide for the restoration of the original painting. 2. Leonardo Da Vinci Museum by Andrea Solari in Belgium. 3. Church of Saint Ambrosio by Cesare de Sesto in Switzerland. Copy of The Last Supper in London I have passed the Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly countless times without realizing the gem I had been missing. One lazy morning while recovering from a major operation, I decided to go. Inside the academy, the...... Read more on Full Issue!