I was mostly disconnected from society from Sunday evening—yesterday afternoon and what I’ve gleaned is that apparently Trump supporters are Big Mad about being called “weird” and are hilariously and disturbingly comparing it to the n‑word and also Trump was interviewed and it was crazy?
Anyway.
I have seen The Last Supper in person.
I have stood in front of the wall where Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) himself stood in the 1490s and painted his unmistakable masterpiece.
It is every bit as magnificent as you can possibly imagine.
Actually, no.
I take that back.
It is even MORE magnificent than you can possibly imagine.
Here are some interesting facts about it!
• The painting was originally done on a thin exterior wall, and the paint failed to properly adhere due to humidity.
• As early as 1517, the painting was starting to flake.
By 1556, it was so deteriorated that the figures were unrecognizable.
• In 1652, a doorway (!!!!!!!!!) was cut through the painting (still entirely unrecognizable), and was later bricked up. We saw the evidence of this; there is an irregular arch-shaped structure near the bottom of the painting. It continued to decay, flake, and get scratched due to good intentions gone bad.
• The painting has had rocks thrown at it, the building was bombed in WWII, and various dismal and unsuccessful (some also very damaging) attempts at restoration were made.
• Finally, in May 1999, a 21 year restoration was completed.
The painting is now in a climate controlled environment and is the closest to the original that it has ever been.
Maybe!
The Last Supper is very much a Ship of Theseus type thing. (Click “Ship of Theseus” if you don’t know.)
Yes, the master himself painted it.
Yes I saw it.
But I saw the restoration!
Is it really still the painting? 🤔
Anyway, the people who are outraged over the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony and their assumptions that it desecrated the Last Supper know enough to fill a thimble, if that.
—emily duchaine
Flommist Emily Duchaine lives in the Pacific Northwest. She likes to drink mead, learn about sharks, and listen to the Talking Heads. She pretends to be a professional businesswoman most days. Copyright © 2024 Emily Duchaine.
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