One of the top ten paintings to see in your lifetime is actually a huge fresco. It is 15 feet high and 28.9 feet long. This alone makes for a memorable viewing.
“The Last Supper” painted by Leonardo da Vinci, was painted during an era when religious imagery was the dominating theme in art. The painting depicts the last time Jesus broke bread with his disciples before his crucifixion.
But did you know that the fresco has survived two wartime threats? The first threat happened when Napoleon’s troops used the wall of the refectory (room used for communal meals) on which the fresco was painted as target practice. It also was exposed to the air for several years when bombing during World War II destroyed the roof of the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.
Surviving all that and still being magnificent is quite a story. It is located in its original place, on the wall of the convent. It remains one of the world’s most recognizable paintings.