Beyond the Yalla Dog

17.5.12

Two images – was Ghirlandaio playing “spot the difference” or is there a message in his changes?

So clever is the use of perspective and a central vanishing point one really feels when entering the Ognissanti refectory as if there is an additional room at the end  -albeit filled with some rather strangely dressed people.

The painting has been restored between 1998 -2000 and the face of Christ is distinctly of a different hand to those of the Disciples, but the overall style is distinctly Ghirlandaio - full of character, animation and lots of little details.

In this painting most of the details are symbolic – on the table together with the traditional bread and wine there are apricots- symbols of sin,  cherries – the blood of Christ,  lettuce for penitence, and citrus fruits as symbols of eternal life  - specifically oranges symbolising Paradise.

In the background there are cypress trees as symbols of redemption and lots of birds including a sparrow hawk attacking a duck – a wicked bird as ducks represent earthly joys. Quails and starlings are symbols of self sacrifice and in the right hand window a  peacock – whose meat was reputed never to go off – represents resurrection, supported by the immortal lark.

Interestingly this beautiful Last Supper by Domenico Ghirlandaio is the first of two very similar paintings done by the artist. The one above was painted in 1480 for the Franciscan church of Ognissanti in Florence- and the second one filling a very similar space in a refectory was done in 1482 for the Dominican Church of St Mark - just a little further north in Florence’s Piazza San Marco.

The most obvious change is the appearance of the cat sitting behind Judas - a symbol of deceit and treachery – puss seems to have replaced the bag of money Judas is clutching in the original.

The table cloth has changed – due to latest fashion or the taste of the Dominicans?  There is slightly less food and no lettuce for penitence on the second painting and the subtle halos of the disciples have all been replaced by shiny gold ones. St John (Mary M?) is even more deeply asleep on the table and the expression on Peter’s face has deepened from quizzical to open dislike – and the knife he is later going to use on the ear of one of the arresting Roman soldiers looks primed and ready for use on Judas Iscariot!

Ghirlandaio was clearly attracted to the theme – the artist had already completed his first full fresco of the  Last Supper in 1476.

Andea del Castagno was probably the forerunner. He first painted the theme between 1445-1449 when he painted the refectory at the Cenacola Santa Apollonia - one of the first putting a tense Judas sitting bolt upright on his stool across the table opposite Jesus and Peter?

In some ways this earlier attempt is more funky – even psychedelic – than Ghirlandiao – I mean what exactly is going on in the explosion of colour above the heads of the three keys protagonists in this battle of wits -Freud could have had a field day?

Judas, Jesus and Peter in a muddle

This painting also has some significant changes in details and in the attributes of the personalities involved – and helpfully each of the disciples names is written under their chair.

the 1476 Last Supper in Cenacola Santa Apollonia

In this painting it is an elderly Andrew who is brandishing his knife and looking for an ear to detach, whilst Peter looks relatively benign and supportive.

St Andrew with his knife at the ready

This painting is also part of a wider picture, above the cross painting of the Last Supper, is the remains of a crucifixion painted by the same artist – the down bar of the cross would have led the eye down to the cross bar of the white table cloth.

To my eye the perspective of the Last Supper once again really punches the images into another room within the space on the wall. So they are in the refectory with the Monks as well as being in their own private room below the now damaged images of the Crucifixion above.

So three paintings – three images of Judas as the outsider, Peter as combatant or trying to smooth over the argument - Thomas always in doubt, John always asleep but sometimes looking more feminine than others? I wonder which will linger in the mind longer,  and would love to know your preferences in the feedback form below?

30.12.11

Everyone seems to be at it – the most photographed queues are the ones outside Selfridges, Harrods and Bridgewater Outlet – but all across the country British people are standing patiently in queues and trying to teach all our visiting tourists  the “proper”way to take part in one of our favourite National pastimes!

My queue on Wednesday was outside the National Gallery in London, where I arrived a little later than planned after 08.00, and joined what looked that a surprisingly short queue outside the Sainsbury wing to try and see the much lauded exhibition Leonardo da Vinci – Painter at the Court of Milan – 1482-99.

Queue for Leonardo - 08.30

Naturally this was not the case! – the hidden queue stretched back around the corner and doubled back on itself before reaching out across the front of the National Gallery to where I stood without moving until after 10.00 – but enjoying a good view across Trafalgar Square.

Booted, hatted and gloved in the mild winter sunshine it was quite a pleasure to stand and people watch and contemplate the joys to come,  but by the time my friend Leslie arrived at 09.30 the misty sunlight had been replaced by rain clouds and National Gallery Officials were busy turning away newcomers trying to join the queue and facing a lot of abuse for their trouble! But good news for us – albeit not until  18.30 – we were definitely going to get in!

So the next stage was the wait – I don’t think Leslie, who is over here visiting London from her home in Florence, was the only one in the queue who thought I was joking when I said the wait could be 4-5 hours – just to pay for the tickets – and she , poor thing, had left the house in the mild winter sunshine and actually gone back in to drop off what seemed unnecessary encumbrances – gloves, scarf and hat…… BIG mistake!

Lovely Leslie adopting the pose of a penguin outside the National Gallery

Beautiful and still smiling lovely Leslie bravely tried to fend off the cold by flapping her wings like a penguin – but it was no good – instead we adopted the Swiss clock approach – one going inside the Gallery and getting warm and then changing places with the frozen one who dived in for her turn in the brilliant (warm) National gallery bookshop!

But was it worth the effort you say? Yes, of course it was !- probably one of the best thought out arrangement of masterpieces it was possible to devise – starting with the key to the exhibition in the first room – a small drawing of the ventricles of the brain and the layers of the scalp – Leonardo wanted to show his concept that “seeing” impacted the working of the brain – and more importantly – the soul, imagination and intellect. The exhibition then goes on to show Leonardo’s  development from his arrival in the court of Ludovico Sforza in Milan as a musician, (Did you know that?!)to a much sought after portrait painter.

He moved the portrait genre from the formalised pictures of rich Donors in profile found in churches across Italy, through to the innovation of face forward character studies, with emotion and expression displayed though their gestures and most importantly – their eyes.

To me the most beautiful luminous painting displayed is that of Cecilia Gallerani, the 16 year old mistress of Ludovico Sforza, holding the ermine which might symbolise the purity of her beauty ( white winter stoats prefer death to getting their coats dirty they say!) – or might symbolise her relationship with the Milanese leader who had recently been appointed as a Master of the Ermine.

Also shown at the Exhibition is the recently re-discovered – and re-attributed to Leonardo – Salvator Mundi – Christ as the Saviour of the World holding a rock crystal orb to represent the universe.

The final part of the exhibition in the Sunley Room is all devoted to the Last Supper - A copy of the wall painting where Leonardo painted all the characters in the Last Supper  displaying emotions in line with their behavioural characteristics as described in the New Testament.

There has been a whole book , in the form of an excellent catalogue, written about the works in this exhibition, which still only covers 17 years of a long and highly productive life,  so I don’t plan to attempt to rewrite it here      -  After all seeing is believing – but you need to get there early – ( the Gallery officials mentioned people queuing from 05.30!!)  and Yes!!Yes ! Yes! – it is well worth the wait!