One of the most popular paintings of all time is Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. The 15-century mural depicts the scene of the final meal Jesus shared with His disciples before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion.
In 1977, Pinin Brambilla Barcilon was selected to lead the restoration project for this famous painting found on a monastery wall in Milan, Italy. The project was challenging, not just for the artwork’s size but its depth.
Da Vinci’s original choice of paint mixture was unstable and had begun flaking off before his death. Unprotected from humidity and pollution, the work continued to deteriorate for more than five centuries with mold, candle soot, and dust taking a heavy toll.
But the biggest challenge for Barcilon and her team was working through previous efforts of restoration. For more than 300 years, amateur painters tried to update Da Vinci’s work using wax, glue, varnish, and their own efforts to fill in gaping holes in the original artwork. The images became increasingly distorted. The details blurred.
When Barcilon’s team approached The Last Supper, they knew they had their work cut out for them. They began photographing every detail of the image and analyzing the artwork with the latest technology. Then, they used microscopes to carefully remove the process of the damaged layers of over-painting.
The process took twenty years.
But eventually they began to discover the intensity of Da Vinci’s brilliant brushstrokes. Matthew’s hair turned out to be blond instead of black. Thomas now had a left hand. Andrew’s face depicted astonishment instead of sadness. And Jesus’ face was illuminated by a fresh glow.
Though the basic scene remained the same, the process of reassessing the original artwork and restoring The Last Supper brought the artwork alive in a captivating, powerful way. [i]
Sometimes in our lives we, too, go through seasons where we need to reassess. [Tweet this] Maybe you’re in one now. You may have an area in your personal lives, work, relationships, finances, or life trajectory that you n
eed to stop, pause, and see if you’re still on track for what God has designed for you. Like the famous painting, you may discover areas that need to be touched up or reworked. I know I have.
In the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon declared, “A time to tear down and a time to build” (Ecclesiastes 3:3). But knowing what season you’re in—a time to downsize or a time to expand—requires us to seek God.
As you reflect on where you’ve been and where God is leading you, TODAY may be the day you need to reassess. In the process, you may discover God has a plan that’s wildly different from anything you anticipated. But as you respond to His leading, you’ll find—much like The Last Supper—the work God is doing in and through you is more beautiful that we ever imagined.
What area of your life needs restoration?
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It’s not too late to join the online #SummerBibleStudy at MargaretFeinberg.com through John and Genesis. Click here to learn more.
[i] Tverberg, Lois. “Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewish Words of Jesus can Change Your Life.” (Grand Rapids: Zondervan), 2012, pp. 15-16.
