The Last Supper by Andrea del Castagno, Leonardo, Tintoretto - Essay Example

Comparing Divinity in Three Last Suppers The last supper is one of the most important images in western art. It depicts Christ sitting with his apostles, the evening before his crucifixion. Three famous depictions of the last supper were created by Del Castagno, Da Vinci, and Tinteretto, all excellent painters of the Italian Renaissance. The three paintings demonstrate vastly different styles and lead to very different impressions of Christ. Del Castgno’s focuses on Christ’s historical importance, Da Vinci on Christ’s humanity, and Tinteretto Christ’s divinity.

Del Castagno’s painting is one of the most distinct. It has a flat style, sharp angles and corners. All of this is in contrast with predominant style during the renaissance. This painting has no motion, no movement, and creates the sense in the viewer that they are looking into a sunken set of figurines. This static portrayal of Christ reinforces his importance historically. There is also something that recalls a Roman fresco about the piece, which also reinforces Christ as a historical figure set into a particular time and place, with historical importance.

Da Vinci’s rendition of the last supper does not attempt to depict Christ in historical lights. This image attempts to cast Christ in a more human light. Da Vincis last supper does not give Christ any particular sign of super-humanness, with only the wisp of a cloud suggesting a halo. Christ is given a position of importance, taking up the central portion of the image almost in its entirety, but there is nothing else that would overly separate him from the apostles. His clothing is similar in form and colour, he is not placed above the rest, nor does he have any sign of super-human lighting.

Overall Da Vinci’s image depicts Christ in his humanity, reinforcing his human side and diminishing the supernatural. The final image, by Tinteretto, is the opposite of Da Vinci’s. While Da Vinci attempts to emphasize Christ as human, Tinteretto emphasizes the divine side of Christ. Tinteretto creates a careful hierarchy of divinity by the size of halos around different characters’ heads. Christ’s is by far the biggest and most bright, casting shadows around the room as the main source of light.

The apostle’s halos are smaller but still denote that they have higher or holy status, while several other, normal people around the room have no halos and move in the shadows cast by the holy members of the room. This reinforces Christ as godly and holy, while diminishing the importance of his humanity or role as an historical figure. Del Castagno, Da Vinci and Tinteretto all painted the same basic image, but their differences in style create significant differences in the impression that they make on the viewer.

Del Castagno’s static, roman style with sharp corners emphasizes Christ as history, Da Vinci’s portrait with it’s soft corners, plain clothes and natural-looking Christ, reinforces Christ as human, and Tinteretto’s contrast of light and shadow reinforce Christ’s divinity and relationship with the divine.