Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1906-08-25
1.-THE LAST SUPPER"


Ieonardo dn Vinci's Famous Paint
Ing Threatened With Ruin.
The people Of Italy and indeed art
lovers of the entire world are dis
tressed by information that Leonardo
ds Vincl's famous painting, The Last
Supper" on the walls of the refectory
Of the old Dominican cloister OF Santa
Marie della Grazia, in Milan. threat
ems to fall into complete ruin.
This painting is over 400 years old.
Fixed to the monastery walls. 1t has
had q triumphant procession through
the world. not even excelled by the
sculptures OF Michael Angelo or re-
productions OF Raphaeps Madonnas.
Copied millions of times In all sorts
OF shapes. from the humblest wood
cut 10 the grandest steel engraving,
II is found In the hut Of the backwoods
and the gallery of the palace.
Such q great result, moreover. has
been accomplished, Notwithstanding,
that apart from what 1t has OF mag
nificence of general composition, the
picture is really almost ruin In
strict art sense. Only traces remain
here and there of Leonardo's sublime
handiwork. From its very locality ana
through the artists own fault 1t bore
within Itself the kernel Of Its own de-
struction.
Like most great artists, he loved to
experiment In painting 1.-THE Last
Supper" instead of depending on
recognized fresco methods or material,
he painted into the wall coating with
oil. AS consequence there was not
a chemical blending with the mortar
base. but only mechanical connec-
ton.
Raphael painted two allegorioal fig
ures In this style In the Vatican which
are still we'll preserved, apart from
slight chipping. Sebastiano del
Piomba also painted his "Scourging OF
Christ with oil on the walls OF the
Church Of San Pietro.
The story of the gradual decay Of "The
Last Supper" began in the sixteenth
century ArInenini, who saw 1t nifty
years after Its completion, taking the
latter period as 1497-0S, speaks OF II
as already half destroyed" 1t ap-
pears that the wall on which the pic
ture had been painted was subject to
almost every possible deterlorating In
huence. One Of the worst Of these
! was the vapor arising from the kitchen
OF the cloister. Besides, the refectory
was damp place.
Then came injuries from the hand OF
man. In the seventeenth century ths
monks who had found the entrance
to their dining room not sufficiently
imposing. broke a wide door through
the wall. This was cut so high that
the feet of Christ and several OF the
apostles were torn away.
In the eighteenth century painter
named Michael Angelo Bellotti claimed
| he possessed a secret means OF restor-
ing 1.-The Last Supper" to it's earliest
freshness and grandeur. he fooled the
monks and painted the subject over
| from top to bottom. Other overpaint-
ings followed. some OF them even In
| water colOrs.
During the Napoleonlc wars. and In
defiance Of his express commands, the
refectory was used as q stable, hay
NOW and q prison. An inundation In
1900 overlooked the room and turned
II into a kind of swamp. Only then
did the Milanese awake to the con-
sciousness that they must do some
thing to preserve The Last Supper"
even in its comparative state OF ruin.
Everything possible was done during
the past century to stop Its taking off,
and these efforts are being kept up.
| The restoration or protection achieved
| by tho painter Barezzi In 1855 won the
heartiest approval Of the commission.
but while II lessened the ravages OF
destruction Il did not check them.
Two years ago the restorer. Caven-
| aghl, suggested that the loosening
color surface be fixed with q colorless
glue, work that would require In
finite care and patience. The prelimi-
nary experiments were successful, and
| It Is possible that II the idea were
adopted It might effectively preserve
THE Last Supper In at least it's pres
emit condition for many years.-Phila-
delphia North American.