Leonardo’s Last Supper: A Vision by Peter Greenaway
One of last year’s most striking installations in Milan was the Last Supper by Peter Greenaway. Originally intended to be projected on Da Vinci’s original work it was finally installed in the Palazzo Reale next to Milan’s Duomo where a white and transparent recreation of the fresco’s table, chairs, plates and bread rolls was seductively illuminated, and a 1:1 scale reproduction of The Last Supper behind it was played on by Greenaway’s lights and projections. It can now be seen in New York as part of a six week Italian Design celebration.
Visionary artist and filmmaker Peter Greenaway brings new insight into one of the world’s most celebrated masterpieces in his multimedia reverie of Leonardo da Vinci‘s The Last Supper. Set within a full-scale replica of the dome of Refectory of Santa Maria Delle Grazie in Milan, the home of the original painting, a meticulously detailed facsimile of The Last Supper is brought to life through Greenaway’s ingenious manipulation of light, sound, and theatrical illusion. Visitors navigate a series of vivid audio-visual environments that provoke new ways of seeing this iconic work.
Leonardo’s Last Supper is part of Greenaway’s ongoing series Ten Classic Paintings Revisited in which the artist creates a dialogue “between 8,000 years of art and 112 years of cinema.” The Armory’s presentation marks the first time that one of Greenaway’s critically acclaimed artistic installations is mounted in the United States.
via Leonardo’s Last Supper: A Vision by Peter Greenaway : Program & Events : Park Avenue Armory
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Italian ballerina Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
