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The Geometry of the Last Supper

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The Triangle #6

From The Geometry of the Last Supper by Raphaël Mouterde. It shows the triangle on the grid and the arc created by the rotation of the side of the triangle to the vertical. The main perspective line suggested by the top of the tapestires has the same slope than the diagonal of the grid and is tangent to the arc.

One of the strongest contributors to the illusion of depth in Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper is the series of tapestries lining the walls on either side of the dining room. Their position and size follow the grid, but the main perspective lines suggested by the top edges of the tapestries do not.

Or so it seems.

In fact, the perspective lines are related to the grid because their slope matches that of the grid's diagonals. In other words, the perspective (in yellow) runs parallel to the diagonals of the grid (in black).

From The Geometry of the Last Supper by Raphaël Mouterde. It shows an outline of the grid on a white background. In black, the diagonals of the grid, and in yellow the perspective lines which run parallel to the diagonals.

And here lies the beauty of it:

💡 The perspective lines are tangent to the Arc of Thomas!

From The Geometry of the Last Supper by Raphaël Mouterde. It shows the triangle on the grid and the arc created by the rotation of the side of the triangle to the vertical. The perspective lines in yellow are tangent to the arc.

This connection reveals yet another layer of deliberate geometry within the composition, in an elegant alignment between the triangle, the grid, and the perspective itself.

🤓 Nerd’s corner: for the truly dedicated geometry fans... what is the height of the vanishing point B?

Tags: All Blogs,Last Supper,Geometry

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