Leonardo da Vinci and The Last Supper

In 1495, Leonardo da Vinci began working on «The Last Supper» — a wall painting that was destined to become one of the most famous and influential works in the history of world art. After ten years of service at the court of the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, Leonardo's affairs were in a dire state: at 43 years old, he had yet to create anything truly worthy of his brilliant talent. The commission for the wall painting in the refectory of the Dominican monastery was a small consolation, and the artist's chances of success were fleeting. Never before had Leonardo worked on such a monumental painting, and he had no experience with the extremely complex technique of fresco. Against the backdrop of war, political intrigue, and religious upheaval, suffering from the instability of his own position and torturously reliving past failures, Leonardo created a masterpiece that immortalized his name through the ages. Debunking numerous myths that have surrounded «The Last Supper» almost since its creation, Ross King demonstrates that the true story of Leonardo da Vinci's celebrated creation is more fascinating than any of them.