The Last Supper - Reconstruction - Blue Lunetta
The truth about the last supper
The most famous painting in the world, The Last Supper.
However, it is also true that in recent restoration work, all of the additions made by later generations have been removed, and very little of Leonardo's drawings remain in The Last Supper. Even though there are only a few layers of drawings left on the walls from Leonardo's time, none of them remain in the same condition as when Leonardo painted them.
In addition, it appears that there are faint outlines of the figures of the apostles left on the wall, but these are actually additions made by a restorer to fill in missing parts, and are not drawn by Leonardo. If all of these supplementary parts were removed, it would no longer be possible to discern what was drawn on the wall. Leonardo's painting of the Last Supper is now lost forever.
So what exactly was Leonardo's depiction of the Last Supper?
Is The Last Supper really a masterpiece?
Reconstruction of the Last Supper Part 1
Reconstruction of the Last Supper Part 3
Restoration of the head of Judas.
The difference in color between the restored part and the surrounding area is immediately obvious.
Restoration of the green cloak.
In the original painting, the outline of the cloak is largely preserved, but many of the detailed depictions of the inside have been lost.
Therefore, when restoring detailed depictions, we proceed by comparing information from multiple reproductions.
Restoration of the Purple Clothes.
There are some areas where the pigments left in the original painting differ from the colors depicted in the reproduction from Leonardo's time.
An example of this is the purple part of Judas' chest, which is painted yellow in several reproductions.
Hand restoration.
It can be confirmed from the reproduction that the expression of the hands and the strings of the leather bag held are intricate and delicate expressions.
Restoration of the Last Supper - Judas
Early mona lisa
Leonardo kept the Mona Lisa in his possession throughout his life, constantly adding to it. By carefully removing the repeatedly added parts one by one, the original appearance of Mona Lisa emerges.
For example, if you remove the veil that has been heavily added to the left and right sides, a slender Mona Lisa will be revealed.
There have also been major changes to the composition.
Originally, the position of the colonnade in the background was much higher than it is now. By lowering the position of the pillar and adding the landscape to the foreground, a deep and mysterious depiction of the Mona Lisa's landscape has been completed.
Additionally, the armchair has been heavily retouched and has lost its original appearance. Originally, it was simpler and may even have had a book in its hand.
Reconstruction of the Mona Lisa from the early stages of production
Mona Lisa Witness - Raphael
The image below is a drawing of the Mona Lisa by Raphael.
In Raphael's drawing, the columns in the background are drawn at a much higher position than the columns depicted in the current Mona Lisa. It also appears that Raphael was simply arranging the work freely, without being particular about the position of the pillars. However, I believe that Raphael also accurately sketched the height of the columns.
It is my opinion that at the time Raphael sketched the Mona Lisa, the columns in the background of the Mona Lisa were drawn in this position.
Raphael's drawing of the Mona Lisa, circa 1504
Added part on the right side
Remove the added part on the right side
Added part on the left
Removal of the added part on the left side
The image above is an image with the added parts of Mona Lisa's veil removed. In the end, the Mona Lisa, with all the added parts removed, gives the impression of being quite slender. It is a simple depiction similar to the drawings by Raphael mentioned earlier.
2012 /10/28 leonardoresearch.jp
Leda and the Swan, a lost masterpiece
Left figure: Duplicate drawing of Leda and the swan
This painting was also abandoned by Leonardo and was never completed. Many copies by Leonardo's disciples remain, but I feel that Leonardo himself was not involved.
If this painting had actually been painted by Leonardo, it would have been one of his masterpieces.
At that time, Leonardo was at the peak of his career as a painter, and even the smallest drawings were works of art of the highest quality.
leonardoresearch.jp/ September 20 2015
Final goal: Restoration of the Battle of Anghiari
Battle of Anghiari and Battle of Cascina
I have three themes. The first is the Last Supper, the second is Leda and the Swan, and the third is the Battle of Anghiari.
We are currently in the process of drawing this third theme, the Battle of Anghiari, but we expect it to take a considerable amount of time to complete. In the case of the Battle of Anghiari, there is an overwhelming lack of basic materials regarding the composition and depiction of details.
In the first place, when Leonardo discarded this painting, he had only depicted the central part of the battle scene, and the left and right parts were left untouched, with only the rough composition determined. Leonardo himself had not decided how he would paint.
Restoring such paintings requires nothing more than imagination. How would Leonardo draw?
My ultimate goal is to complete this painting, a reconstruction of the Battle of Anghiari, which tests the depth of my understanding of Leonardo.
Reconstruction of the Battle of Cascina
There is also a strong interest in the Battle of Cascina, which was supposed to be depicted opposite the Battle of Anghiari.
The image on the left is a restoration based on Michelangelo's drawings, assuming that it would have been painted on a mural.
Completion of the central figure.
Michelangelo has an excellent sense of muscular beauty. We are not simply concerned with accuracy or good depiction, but rather with the pursuit of aesthetic beauty.
This keen sense of pursuing the beauty of muscles reached its peak at the time when this drawing was drawn, and from then on, as time passed, it gradually became more stylized and lost its sparkle.
leonardoresearch.jp/ October 02 2016
Michelangelo Casciano, Reconstruction image - February 18 2018
Michelangelo Casciano, Reconstruction image - April 29 2018
Michelangelo Casciano, Reconstruction image - May 20 2018
Michelangelo Casciano, Reconstruction image - July 15 2018
leonardoresearch.jp