APCOM

Leonardo da Vinci would praise Peter Greenaway's vision of his 'Last Supper'. The English artist said it at the end of the preview of his creation, which will enliven the beautiful Sala delle Cariatidi at Palazzo Reale until next Monday. "Leonardo was curious, he was an innovator. He never stopped investigating and 'The Last Supper' is a perfect example of this desire. His attitude allowed him to anticipate many 19th century discoveries."

The fresco's perfect clone, which has both the same dimensions and the same characteristics of the original, is animated by Greenaway through effects that give the illusion of tridimensionality and movement. Among the most exciting moments is Jesus' announcement of one of the apostles' betrayal, when blinking lights illuminate only the hands of his companions. Then the apex, when the table becomes red, "This is my blood shed for you".

Greenaway's work owes its greatness to the mixture of languages used to realise it: art, photography, music, everything contributes to reproduce the original's magic. The result was achieved through the collaboration of many experts: above all Adam Lowe, who lead the restorers of Madrid's Factum Arte laboratories, and Reinier van Brummelen, his legendary right-hand man for what concerns photography. That's why Greenaway has defined this version of Leonard's masterpiece "a collaborative work of art".

The Welsh-born director points out two key elements: "My 'Last Supper' is a great celebration and symbolization of lights, which are necessary to underline all the aspects of the story told by the painting. Besides, there's music. I chose an attractive combination of melodies in order to help people to understand this complex work".

It was this difficulty to convince Greenaway: "I like the creations of the Renaissance because of their multifaceted characteristics. Nowadays, we're not accustomed to it, but I believe we should train people's eyes to look and see. We should train them, as these paintings are not only exercises of aesthetics, but also of sociology and politics".

Greenaway always prefers to work on big paintings: "Certain works such as the Monna Lisa, even if they are wonderful, they are not sufficiently complex for me. Even if it's more difficult, I like moulding frescos that need a deep analysis in order to revise them in a different way. My dream is to launch a new project based on Michelangelo's 'The Last Judgment'".

Up to now, the Ministry for Cultural Goods has forbidden the famous artist to take his digital vision to the real 'Last Supper' in Santa Maria delle Grazie church, as ordinary visits have already damaged the fresco. The set up in Palazzo Reale might become an alternative to 'traditional' tours: "The Last Supper is in such a bad condition that only 25 people at the time are allowed to admire it. Many people wait two years, others don't even manage to see it in the end, so it's a wonderful chance for everybody who wants to know Leonardo's masterpiece".