The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-26
1.-THE LAST SUPPER"
Leonardo da Vincl's Famous Painting
Threatened With Ruin.

From the Philadelphia North American.
The people of Italy and indeed art
lovers of the entire world are distressed
by information that Leonardo da Vincis
famous painting, THE Last Supper" on
the walls OF the refectory of the old
Dominican cloister of Santa Marie della
Grazia. in Milan, threatens to fall into
complete ruin.
This painting is over 400 years old.
Fixed to the monastery walls, 1t has had
triumphant procession through the
world, not even excelled by the scup-
lures of Michatel Angelo or reproductions
of Raphael's Madonnas. Copied millions
of times in all sorts of shapes, from the
humblest woodcut to the grandest steel
engraving, 1t is found In the hut of the
backwoods and the gallery of the pal
ace.
Such a great result, moreover, has been
accomplished, Notwithstanding, that
apart from what 1t has of magnificence OF
general composition, the picture is really
almost ruin in a strict art sense. Only
traces remain here and there of Leon
ardo's sublime handiwork. From its very
locality and through the artists own fault
1t bore within itself the kernel of its
own destruction.
Like most great artists, he loved to
experiment In painting 1.-THE Last Sup
per-" instead of depending ON recognized
fresco methods or material. he painted
into the wall coating with oil. AS a con-
sequence there was not chemical blend
ing with the mortar base, but only me-
chanicai connection.
Raphael painted two categorical figures
in the style In the Vatican which are
still well preserved, apart from a slight
chipping Sebastino 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 1.-The
Last Supper began in the sixteenth CEN
fury. Armenini, who saw 1t fifty years
after Its completion, taking the latter
period as 1873 speaks OF 1t as already
"half destroyed" 1t appears that the
wall on which tho picture had been paint
ed was subject TO almost every possible
deterioratlng influence. One of the worst
of these was the vapor arising from the
kitchen of the cloister. Besides, the re-
fectory was damp place.
Then came injuries from the hand of
man. In the seventeenth century the
monks, who had found the entrance to
their dining room not sufficiently i'm
posing, 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 Bcllotti claimed
he possessed a secret means of restroing
1.-THE Last Supper" to its earliest fresh
ness and grandeur. He fooled the monks
and painted the subject over from top to
bottom. Other overpaintings followed,
some of them even in water eolors.
During the apoeonlc wars. and In de-
hance of his express commands. the refee-
tory was used as a stable, haymow and
prison An inundation In 1900 over
flowed the room and turned 1t into kind
of swamp. Only then did the Milanese
awake to the consciousness that they
must do something to preserve "The Last
Supper" even In its comparative state of
ruin
Everything possible was done during the
past century to stop it's taking off, and
these efforts are being kept up The res
toration or protection achieved by the
painter Barezzi In 1856 won the heartiest
approval OF the commission. but while It
lessened the ravages of destruction 1t
did not check them.
Two years ago the restorer Cavenaghi
suggested that the loosenng color sur
face be fixed with colorless glue. a work
that would require inS~.~a IRE patience
The preliminary experiments were sue
cessful. and II is possible that If the
idea were adopted 1t might effectively pre-
serve 1.-THE Last Supper In at least its
present condition for many years.