Leonardo Completes The Last Supper

Timeline

1. 1495–1496Santa Maria delle Grazie · MilanUnder the patronage of Ludovico Sforza ("the Moor"), Leonardo received the commission to paint The Last Supper in the convent refectory. He used an unconventional mixture of tempera and oil on dry wall, and employed linear perspective so that Christ and the twelve apostles appear to share a table with the viewer.
2. 1496–1497Refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie · MilanLeonardo worked slowly, often pausing to let underlayers dry, which displeased the prior. During this phase he rendered in detail each apostle's shock, doubt, and anger at Jesus's announcement that "one of you will betray me," creating dramatic tension.
3. 1498Santa Maria delle Grazie · MilanThe mural was completed around 1498 and put to use by the convent. It was immediately regarded as a masterpiece, but the experimental materials and dampness of the wall soon caused the paint to flake, leading to numerous later restorations. Even so, its composition and psychological portrayal profoundly influenced the tradition of Western religious painting.