The Last Supper....up close and personal

[Martrae]

http://www.haltadefinizione.com/


MILAN, Italy (AP) - Can't get to Milan to see Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece "The Last Supper?" As of Saturday, all you need is an Internet connection. Officials put online an image of the "Last Supper" at 16 billion pixels - 1,600 times stronger than the images taken with the typical 10 million pixel digital camera.

The high resolution will allow experts to examine details of the 15th century wall painting that they otherwise could not - including traces of drawings Leonardo put down before painting.

The high-resolution allows viewers to look at details as though they were inches from the art work, in contrast to regular photographs, which become grainy as you zoom in, said curator Alberto Artioli.

"You can see how Leonardo made the cups transparent, something you can't ordinarily see," said Artioli. "You can also note the state of degradation the painting is in."

Besides allowing experts and art-lovers to study the masterpiece from home, Artioli said the project provides an historical document of how the painting appears in 2007, which will be valuable to future generations of art historians.

Although there appeared to be problems with the Web site late Saturday, it was accessible earlier in day.

The work, in Milan's Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, was restored in a painstaking effort that wrapped up in 1999 - a project aimed at reversing half a millennium of damage to the famed artwork. Leonard painted the "Last Supper" dry, so the painting did not cleave to the surface in the fresco style, meaning it is more delicate and subject to wear.

"Over the years it has been subjected to bombardments; it was used as a stall by Napoleon," Artioli said. The restoration removed 500 years of dirt while also removing previous restoration works that masked Leonardo's own work.

Even those who get to Milan have a hard time gaining admission to see the "Last Supper." Visits have been made more difficult by measures to protect it. Twenty-five visitors are admitted every 15 minutes to see the painting for a total of about 320,000 visitors a year. Visitors must pass through a filtration system to help reduce the work's exposure to dust and pollutants.

"The demand is three or four times higher, but we can't accommodate it because of efforts to preserve the painting," Artioli said.


Zooming in is fascinating! The detail is incredible.

[Tikker]

is it working for anyone?


for me, it's like a 320x200 image, and zooming in is just crazy huge pixels, wuwu

[Martrae]

It's gotten slammed since the article came out. Earlier I was able to zoom in to see the fingernails clearly.

[Tikker]

i let it sit in one spot for 10 minutes, and it finally resolved to the fine detail

pretty neat

[araby]

who is the man in the blue holding the knife talking to mary magdalene? maybe he stabbed her later. is she holding the holy grail?

[Narrock]

I saw a special on the Holy Grail. It was most likely made of clay and has probably turned to dust over a thousand years ago.

[Tikker]

wtf

how did Indy find it then?!?!?!

[Harrison]

Harrison Ford could find Jenna Jameson's virginity.

[Zanchief]

Harrison Ford could find Jenna Jameson's virginity.

hahahaa

[Eziekial]

That hand holding the knife is extra.. What is that all about?

[leah]

dude what if mary IS the holy grail?!

[Harrison]

The holy grail isn't a physical object, in my opinion.

[Narrock]

The holy grail isn't a physical object, in my opinion.

Dust particles aren't physical objects?

[Zanchief]

The holy grail isn't a physical object, in my opinion.

I've been told by all my religious friends that the bible wasn't written in metaphor or allegory. It's all 100% accurate, giants, and miracles and all.

[Naethyn]

Digg effect.

[The Kizzy]

I'm with Leah on this one. Didn't any of you ever see the DaVinci Code?

[10sun]

I'm with Leah on this one. Didn't any of you ever see the DaVinci Code?

No but I read the book and didn't start believing every little thing in it.

[Evermore]

I'm with Leah on this one. Didn't any of you ever see the DaVinci Code?

No but I read the book and didn't start believing every little thing in it.

heathen

[Martrae]

That is definitely a woman sitting next to Christ, though.

[leah]

I'm with Leah on this one. Didn't any of you ever see the DaVinci Code?

No but I read the book and didn't start believing every little thing in it.

and also i was being facetious :P

i read the book and really enjoyed it, it was a fun read, but i don't believe much of any of it. fun premise, though; i actually kind of want to read it (and angels & demons) again, especially before the A&D movie comes out.

although, that ruined the da vinci code movie for me--i had just finished the book a few days before seeing the movie, and it was super obvious how grossly inaccurate the movie was compared to the book.

[Darcler]

That hand holding the knife is extra.. What is that all about?

Nuh-uh

[Tikker]

I hear you about the movie

I was looking forward to it more so to see all the scenery, rather than the story (the story I knew)
I was shocked at how they didn't do it justice at all

[Lueyen]

I went to the theater to see the movie... big mistake, I walked out about half way through.