The da Vinci puzzle: Restoring The Last Supper - BBC News

In the spring of 1999 a small team of experts, led by the renowned Italian art restorer Pinin Brambilla, concluded the mammoth task of restoring Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, The Last Supper.
Da Vinci had been commissioned to paint the fresco on a wall in Milan's convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in 1498. But due to his poor choice of materials, paint had begun to flake off even during his lifetime. Brambilla's restoration involved removing five layers of paint from previous botched restorations and restoring key features and objects. The painstaking job of cleaning, dabbing and repainting the four-and-a-half metre high fresco cost millions of dollars and took Pinin and her colleagues more than 20 years.
Now in her 90s, Pinin Brambilla, who still works in her studio in Milan, told Witness about this labour of love that consumed half of her professional life.

[communistjesus]

You can tell this Italian lady restorer really LOVES her work..

[prkycck]

This job had to be a huge honor. I am the least sentimental as they come, but when it comes to iconic images, working directly on one to take care of it even, such a huge weight. I guess the more the honor the greater the need for success.

[joansmith]

I can't imagine how daunting a task that must've been.

[thehighstreet]

Leonardo salutes you.Fine lady fine resurrection of a wreck.The best.

[smallsmalls]

I think her and her restores have done a beautiful job. 20 years is a real labour of love.

[Brimfmaree]

This is honestly probably a really stressful job. My heart goes out to everyone who worked on the restoration of this piece.

[rickaguilar]

Being an artist myself I can appreciate this great effort of restoration! My only regret is that I am not there to help out!

[nathanielolaer]

the master Leonardo da Vinci would be so happy

[gregoryedgerton]

Restoration is almost unbelievable and inhuman dedication. This woman deserves as much praise as Leonardo !
Every single person save two has facial hair. The third to Christ's left, who is clearly no woman - and the figure immediately to his right. If that is not a woman, then sex-changes are happening about two thousand years late !

[flexconnectors]

0:20 omg guys i just made a discovery..


clearing that guy just picked his nose and is perplexed by it.

[EGarrett]

Um, can we see the before and after? Can we see some of the changes she's talking about? Anything? Bueller?

[briancaldwell]

she was restoring Leonardos masterpiece with purple tinted glasses. brilliant.

[KAIJUKING]

Tbh I would be a nervous train wreck being in charge of restoring such an iconic piece of artwork like the last super because one screw up, Knick, scratch, tear, bad touch up, and the whole piece is absolutely ruined and a historical masterpiece is gone forever and the whole world will scold you for it forever.

[helenparks]

since we are really in I343, and Leonardo was really painting this in the decade of i 480 that makes this painting in the order of 860 years (give or take a couple)

[xEllesirKx]

In the original face of Jesus, His mouth appears to be closed. It gives him an appearance of dejectedness or maybe disappointment, like He is deep in thought or silently hurting. In the restored version, his eyebrows are slightly more raised and pronounced, and his mouth is ajar. It shows more sorrow and defeat. It must seriously take great talent for a person to be able to express these emotions through painting.

[BenZ]

From PERSIA, ArmeniA, Israel, GoergiA with Passion

[ladymusiclover]

It's amazing how people do/have take so much care in their religion.

[didyoufindmyteddybearyet]

Wait…my grandma had a painting just like that and she trusted a person in 1999 to repair it and she never gave it back

[rondierice]

St. John looks like Meryl Streep in the painting ! 😁

[Brewdiss]

Whats with all the rolls? I thought they ate unleavened bread?🎲🎲🎲👌