Milan: THE Last Supper

As is well known, Leonardo (Mr. Smokey (Signore Chiaroscuro)) moved around quite a bit, originally from near Pisa, learning his craft(s) in Florence, then working for whomever would pay, chiefly the nobility in Milan, and lastly, Francois Premier in France. He was good, no doubt, and multi-talented. In visual art, he experimented too much with materials and techniques (at this expense of his patrons), seldom finished anything, and left very little art to be judged by, considering his reputation among some ("that than which no greater can be conceived..."). Personally, I think he's the most over-rated of Renaissance artists, but still certainly worth a look, and his Last Supper was one of the main reasons we were in Milan. Vicki had wisely procured reservations way back in March, or even February, and so we were all set and amped up from our experience at Starbucks. (I confess that in these matters I have been heavily influenced by https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9Aj7W3g1qo).

It's all in an adjunct to this church, way out in what would have been the burbs in
the early 16th century

In that building there, the rebuilt cenacle of the church (see Monuments Men
for some background); you'd think there would be hundreds outside hoping
for a ticket, but it's only the next group of reserved ticket-holders; only small
groups, 15-20 are allowed in at a time, and only for 15 minutes; sort of like
the Scrovegni Chapel; sort of

Well, partial timeline; there's a lot more to the story;
probably not a  molecule of what you see on the wall was
ever in the same room with Leonardo; Vasari saw it in
the 1560s and wrote that it was ruined beyond recognition;
another victim of Leonardo's experimentation with materials
and techniques; fortunately, good copies were made almost
as soon as the deterioration began; never mind the man you
see in the reflection

At last, we are in; it's not all that big, as Last Suppers go

Closer up; as you can see, someone once cut in a door-way, removing Our Lord's Feet

Extreme closer up; very difficult to do halos in chiaroscuro

Really a woman, Vicki says, citing a certain theory

Judas Bad Guy with the pointy beard and lean and hungry look

Helpful diagram #1,503

Painting at the other end of the room no one notices until they walk by it after
the guards begin shouting "time up, visit over, leave room, exit through gift
shoppe!"

Final Parthian shot; we both exited through the gift shoppe muttering that
Ghirlandaio's at the Oggnisanti was much better; in every way; but still glad
we finally got to see The Last Supper