Saint Bartholomew - The Last Supper

Saint Bartholomew
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This photo is a sculpture of Saint Bartholomew done in 1562 by the artist Marco d'Agrate, it stands near the main altar in the Duomo in Milan.  Saint Bartholomew is one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. He is always portrayed without his skin because he was martyred by being skinned alive.  In this depiction his skin is draped around his body,  you will see the skin of his face and legs hanging down his back in this photo.  Many of Jesus's apostles were martyrs but this happens to be a particularly unique and gruesome way to die - after he was skinned he was crucified upside down!

Waiting to view The Last Supper
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We liked him much better when we visited Santa Maria della Grazie to see the the painting "The Last Supper".  The mural was painted by Leonardo de Vince from 1494-1498.  The painting portrayes the moment when Jesus announced to his apostles that one of them would betray him.  The apostles are depicted as surprised and confused which according to our guide was the most interesting and human moment of the supper and of course why Leonardo chose to paint it this way.  The faces of the apostles are a compelation of the faces of the Milanese people that Leonardo sketched.  He also read extensively about the personalities of the apostles and he incorporated their characteristics into his work of art.  Batholomew (the skinned) is the farthest left and Mattew third from right is said to be a self portrait of Leonardo.  He was in his mid forties at the time which, for this era, would have made him much older looking, but who wouldn't paint themselves yonger if they could?

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci 1495
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The Last Supper encorporates an entire wall of a small convent (approximately 10' by 20').  The building was bombed in 1943 during World War II but miraculously survived.  Multiple restorations were attempted over the centuries, one by Michaelangelo - the latest began in 1987 and ended in 1999, dring this restoration everything but Leonardo's original work was removed, the details lost forever but what is left is an amazing, moving piece of art.