The Twilight of Presence: Pictorialized Illumination in Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper

Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper in the Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie was designed to interact dynamically with the refectory's lighting conditions, creating a visually immersive experience. Using advanced rendering software, researchers reconstructed the original environment to analyze how light and space shaped the mural's perception. This study demonstrates that The Last Supper was not merely a static painting but an interactive work meant to engage viewers through carefully calibrated illumination, bridging art history with forensic visualization techniques.

Underhill, J. (2019). The Twilight of Presence: Pictorialized Illumination in Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. Leonardo, 52(1), 44–53. https://doi.org/10.1162/leon_a_01343