The Real Leonardo Continued

The movement of Peter forces Judas closer to the viewer, forcing one to ask oneself which of these three apostles most closely resembles us. Judas the traitor, blustering Peter soon to deny Christ, or trusting John, the faithful disciple? For most, the comparison becomes uncomfortable.

This painting was never meant to focus on anyone but Christ, a figure dismissed by Brown’s analyses. The vanishing point of the painting is at His head. Jesus’ face was Leonardo’s greatest exercise in sfumato, in that he left it undefined, feeling unworthy to represent the Savior. Jesus’ eyes are downcast meditating His terrible trials to come. With one hand he reaches for the bread that He will share with His betrayer, and the other He extends, palm open in acceptance of Divine will. On a daily basis, this challenging image of Jesus’ example of obedience confronted the monks vowed to imitate him.

In the end, The DaVinci Code is a work of fiction. Brown’s Leonardo is an invented character, light years away from the Christian genius who managed to make people feel as if they were present at one of the most sacred moments in history. But the consciously blurred line between fact and fiction has had the unfortunate effect of making Christians feel ashamed of one our greatest sons. The enduring beauty of Leonardo’s works is intimately wrapped up with their sacred character, and the deeply Catholic culture that embraced them.

Elizabeth Lev is an American-born art historian living in Rome. Educated at the University of Chicago and University of Bologna, she teaches Renaissance and Baroque art at Duquesne University's Italian campus. She also contributes regularly to Zenit New Agency and Inside the Vatican magazine.

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