Leonardo and the Last Supper

By Ross King

For more than five centuries The Last Supper has been an artistic, religious and cultural icon. The art historian Kenneth Clark called it 'the keystone of European art', and for a century after its creation it was regarded as nothing less than a miraculous image. And yet there is a very human story behind this artistic 'miracle'. Ross King's Leonardo and the Last Supper is both a 'biography' of one of the most famous works of art ever painted and a record of Leonardo da Vinci's last five years in Milan.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Aug 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9781408834275

Ross King

Ross King is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling and Brunelleschi's Dome as well as several novels. Born and raised in Canada, he lives outside Oxford, England.

Reviews for Leonardo and the Last Supper

[jbd1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ross King's Leonardo and the Last Supper (Walker & Company, 2012) offers a good mix of biographical detail on da Vinci and his career, the historical context around the creation of his "Last Supper," and an analysis of the painting itself (from the possible models used to the food on the table to the way the painting fit into the room where it was created). King debunks a good few of the myths that have sprung up about the work (no, John is not Mary Magdalene, and no, the same model wasn't used for both Jesus and Judas), and uses a fair number of interesting digressions to explore other da Vinci works and aspects of both his life and the lives of those connected with the painting.A bit more slow-going than some others of King's books, but still readable and interesting.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Despite its iconic status, I knew very little about Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper before reading Ross King's book. I know a lot more about it now. This isn't a dry analysis of Leonardo's technique. It's an informative and entertaining look at Leonardo da Vinci's life, particularly the years spent in the court of the Duke of Milan. King puts the work into its historical context within Leonardo's career, the Renaissance art world, and the political climate in Milan in the late 15th century.After reading about Leonardo's trail of unfinished projects leading up to The Last Supper, I think it's a wonder that he completed it. Since Leonardo didn't use the typical fresco technique, he had a wider range of colors available to him. Unfortunately, the painting began to show signs of deterioration even within Leonardo's lifetime. After centuries of well-meaning but disastrous preservation and restoration efforts and near-destruction from a World War II bombing, it's amazing that there's anything left to see. My bucket list now includes a trip to Milan to see what's left of the mural in person. I wish I could have done that about 500 years ago!This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.