Which Italian artist painted 'The Last Supper' in Milan?

Leonardo da Vinci painted The Last Supper in Milan. He created the monumental mural between 1495 and 1498 on the end wall of the refectory, or dining hall, of the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

The scene depicts the moment when Jesus announces that one of his disciples will betray him. Leonardo arranges the apostles in four groups of three, using their gestures and expressions to create a dramatic chain of reactions. Judas is placed among the other apostles rather than isolated on the opposite side, a notable departure from some earlier representations.

The work is not a conventional fresco. Leonardo experimented with tempera and oil on a dry plaster surface, allowing him more time for careful modeling but making the image far less durable. Paint began deteriorating during Leonardo’s lifetime, and the mural has undergone several major restoration campaigns.

The Last Supper survived wartime danger, including damage to the convent during World War II. Its composition has influenced generations of artists and popular culture, while many modern claims about hidden messages or secret identities go beyond what the painting itself establishes.

Caravaggio, Raphael, and Michelangelo were important Italian artists, but Leonardo is the canonical answer for the Milanese Last Supper.