News: An interesting media on the National Portrait Gallery has a focus on the Leonardo da Vinci' The Last Supper. It is worth while to follow the role of each of the Twelve Apostles at the Last Supper, and St. Matthew is in turn.
One headline from the Times was passed on to me:
The cups
runneth over at the actors’ Last Supper
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| The outer left three actors should look to Jesus, if following Leonardo. From left: John Alderton (Bartholomew), Sir Richard Eyre (James), Steven Berkoff (Andrew), . |
National Portrait Gallery cue to St Matthew in Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper.
NPG connives with the Dan Brown 'Da Vinci code'.
The actor, Julie Walters has the role for St. John. She must be embarrassed by the National Portrait Gallery miss-presenting Mary Magdalene.
The project is for funding for the National Portrait Gallery extension, unlike in keeping with St. Matthew called away from tax collecting.
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| Matthew gestures, flinging his right arm towards Jesus |
Simon the Zealot
- Apostle Thomas, James the Greater and Philip are the next group of three. Thomas is clearly upset; the raised index finger foreshadows his Incredulity of the Resurrection. James the Greater looks stunned, with his arms in the air. Meanwhile, Philip appears to be requesting some explanation.
- Matthew, Jude Thaddeus and Simon the Zealot are the final group of three. Both Jude Thaddeus and Matthew are turned toward Simon, perhaps to find out if he has any answer to their initial questions.
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The, National Portrait Gallery, project has depended on the digital photography. Does the digital photography does not equal the technology of Leanardo da Vinci. viz,
Artistic truth instead of correct perspective.
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| The outer three to the right: Both Jude Thaddeus and Matthew are turned toward Simon, perhaps to find out if he has any answer to their initial questions. |
The heads of the apostles are also not shown 'correctly' in accordance with the central perspective. Instead, they all appear to be directly in front of the viewer regardless of whether they are in the middle part or at the outer ends of the table. By this means they are given a much emphasized presence. The group as a whole is also more present in the real space of the refectory because the painted wall is like a stage with the table of the Last Supper very close to the footlights. (Michael Ladwein).
The photo is inspired by the Leonardo da Vinci work depicting the moment Jesus tells his disciples one of them will betray him.
2:57pm UK, Monday 16 September 2013
Scene recreated by British actors
A cast of British acting talent has teamed up to re-create Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper for the National Portrait Gallery. They include (left to right) John Alderton, Sir Richard Eyre, Steven Berkoff, Tim Pigott-Smith, Sir Antony Sher and Julie Walters.
Scene recreated by British actors
Robert Powell, Colin Firth, Tom Conti, Sir Michael Gambon also feature.
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As do Simon Callow, Peter Eyre and Anthony Andrews.
Gallery: Da Vinci's Last Supper Posed By Stars
British acting stars have teamed up to recreate Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper for the National Portrait Gallery.
Among the names who posed for the photograph are Robert Powell, who famously played the title role in the TV mini-series Jesus of Nazareth.
Others include Julie Walters, Sir Michael Gambon and Steven Berkoff.
Photographer Alistair Morrison said: "My first two choices were Robert Powell who had to be Jesus … and Julie Walters, who was asked to play Mary Magdalene.
"Their enthusiasm and influence helped to bring together this outstanding group of actors."
The photograph is inspired by Leonardo's original 15th-century work which depicts the moment Jesus tells his disciples that one of them will betray him.
Prints of the photograph, called Actors' Last Supper, will be sold at the central London gallery's new prints sales section.
Prices will range from £12,375 for a limited edition work to £2.99 for a postcard.
Portraits of Kate Moss, Bob Dylan and David Bowie are also going on offer.
From left: John Alderton (Bartholomew), Sir Richard Eyre (James), Steven Berkoff (Andrew), Tim Piggott-Smith (Peter), Sir Antony Sher (Judas), Julie Walters (Mary Magdelene), Robert Powell (Jesus), Colin Firth (James the Greater), Tom Conti (Thomas), Sir Michael Gambon (Philip), Simon Callow (Matthew), Peter Eyre (Jude Thaddeus) and Anthony Andrews (Simon the Zealot)
Alistair Morrison/National Portrait Gallery/PA
Extracts from Michael Ladwein, Leonardo da Vinci, A Cosmis Drama and an Act of Redemption
( p. 42 The Group of Individual and heir Gestures)
58 Real and Imaginary Space
Artistic truth instead of correct perspective
The heads of the apostles are also not shown 'correctly' in accordance with the central perspective. Instead, they all appear to be directly in front of the viewer regardless of whether they are in the middle part or at the outer ends of the table. By this means they are given a much emphasized presence. The group as a whole is also more present in the real space of the refectory because the painted wall is like a stage with the table of the Last Supper very close to the footlights. Leonardo achieved this illusion by means of the frieze he painted along the top of the mural and the light grey strips that frame it on either side. These should be viewed as partially visible corner pillars supporting the frieze or rather the architrave. This generates the impression of a peep-show stage with a jutting proscenium on which the company of the Last Supper is gathered. The stage effect also arises from the fact that the painting is several metres above the actual floor of the refectory. This enabled Leonardo to insert a necessary degree of distance between the painting and the real and profane realm of the refectory. After all, the events of the Last Supper and those partaking of it belong to a truly higher, sacred sphere and therefore need to be 'elevated' spatially despite being given such an immediate presence.
«« Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Das Relief von Phigalia. 1818.
Leonardo da Vinci, a total art world in himself, to whom we have devoted much, albeit nowhere near enough, attention, is as audacious as were the artists of Phigalia. We have thought deeply about The Last Supper with much enthusiasm and in doing so have also contemplated it with veneration; but now let us permit ourselves a joke at its expense. Thirteen persons are seated at a very long and narrow table. They are struck by a shock of emotion; a few remain seated while others partially or entirely rise to their feet. They delight us with their polite yet passionate conduct, but let these good people take great care not to try sitting down again; at least two would end up on each other's lap no matter to what extent Christ and John might manage to reduce the space between them.
Yet it is the very sign of a master that he purposely makes a mistake for the greater advantage of his work. Plausibility is a rule of art, but within the realm of plausibility there must be a celebration of the highest even if it would not otherwise become manifest. What is correct is not worth sixpence if it has nothing else to show for itself. ««
Closer examination raises many further questions about the space in which the Last Supper is taking place. It is therefore no coincidence that art historians have to this day continued to research this mysterious and highly complex painted architecture with ever more subtle methods without reaching a general consensus. Although such analysis is a matter for specialists, the results (of which only the most plausible are presented here) that reveal Leonardo's inventiveness and the ease of his mastery of geometry, perspective and optics continue to astound the amateur." Moreover, coming to grips mentally with these things also offers us an excellent opportunity to school our own skills of observation and perception.
Michael Ladwein: www.ladwein-reisen.de
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| Notes of Leonardo |
