Da Vinci's Last Supper: New Conspiracy Theory

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 7-30-3007 | Matthew Moore

[blam]

Da Vinci's Last Supper: New conspiracy theory

By Matthew Moore
Last Updated: 9:35am BST 30/07/2007

It is a conspiracy theory worthy of a Dan Brown novel.

The composite version of the Last Supper, created by superimposing the original with its mirror image

New claims that Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper contains a hidden image of a woman holding a child are provoking a storm of interest on the internet.

The figure allegedly appears when the 15th Century mural painting is superimposed with its mirror image, and both are made partially transparent.

The 'woman' leans across the group in Christ's direction...

According to Slavisa Pesci, an Italian amateur scholar, the resulting composite picture shows a figure clutching what appears to be a young child.

More cynical observers may conclude that the double-image is far too blurry and faded to draw such conclusions.

Mr Pesci, who revealed his "findings" last week, chose not to speculate on who the child could be, but internet conspiracy theorists have been quick to point out similarities to the plot of the bestseller The Da Vinci Code, in which Jesus married his follower, Mary Magdelene.

Leonardo da Vinci websites received millions of hits within hours of Mr Pesci's announcement, and at least four - www.leonardodavinci.tv, www.codicedavinci.tv, www.cenacolo.biz and www.leonardo2007.com - were still down this morning due to the weight of traffic.

Mr Pesci also claims that the superimposed image shows a goblet in front of Jesus Christ - perhaps a depiction of his blessing of bread and wine - and transforms two of the people sitting at the table into knights.

... while on the other side two guests appear as knights

"I came across it by accident, from some of the details you can infer that we are not talking about chance but about a precise calculation," he said.

The Last Supper, one of the most famous and valuable paintings in the world, depicts the meal shortly before Christ's death when he announced to his disciples that one of them would betray him.

The long-haired figure who appears as a woman in Mr Pesci's double image is Philip, the figure wearing orange, third on Christ's left in the original.

The basis of The Da Vinci Code is that the feminine figure on Christ's immediate right was actually Mary Magdelene, not John as most scholars believe.

[sr4402]

Sorry, I don’t see anything. So, bang, there goes another theory.

[mikeus_maximus]

Yea, and if you look at it right to left, instead of left to right, it says “Paul is dead.”

[Always Right]

My theory says that Dan Brown may not find all his gained riches worth it.

[razorback-bert]

I see a UFO!

[true_blue_texican]

Googoo gachoob.

[RedRover]

Ping for obvious reasons.

[rfp1234]

—Slavisa Pesci, an Italian amateur scholar—

“Pesci” means “Fishes” in Italian.

Jesus’s symbol is a fish.

Therefore, it may be stated conclusively that Ms. Pesci is a descendant of Christ and Mary Magdalene </s>.

[Jaysun]

Absurd.

[John Philoponus]

There’s a sucker born every minute. Assuming this is true, and that it really is an image of a woman holding a young child, what does that tell us of the historical Jesus? Leonardo lived 1400+ years after the events depicted in that painting. How could he possibly have any idea what went on during the Last Supper? And what the heck are “knights” doing there? There were no “knights” during that time period. Unless those “knights” are supposed to be Roman centurions, but that just makes the painting make LESS sense.

[Billthedrill]

It looks like the waitress is bringing the bill...

[struggle]

Actually, that’s Boy George holding a crack pipe.

[rfp1234]

[MindBender26]

It’s the Jews!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(and the bicycle riders.....)

[dangus]

So, when an image of a feminine looking character who is looking AWAY from Jesus is reversed, it looks like there is a feminine looking character looking AT Jesus. Oh my goodness, that’s amazing!

*yawn*

[RC2]

One thing that Da Vinci did was to sketch his idea out, re-sketch them and continue this until he found what he was looking for. I think this is what people are seeing. He did the same thing with the chapel cieling. He sketched and sketched and sketched. You would, most likely, see the same types of things.

[doctor noe]

How come they were all sitting on the same side of the table?

[Political Junkie Too]

Fnord.

-PJ

[jonrick46]

This “scholar,” Slavisa Pesci, has stared at bathroom tiles too long. The next thing he will see is the Virgin Mary in a toasted cheese sandwich. However, like the mirror-imaged Last Supper, images in toasted cheese sandwiches are nothing new.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

Just some garbage that will find its way into another anti-Christian novel just before Easter.

[massgopguy]

Maybe canvas was at a premium and he used a sheet more than once. The other thing that Da Vinci hoaxers overlook is that Da Vinci wasn’t at the Last Supper. All those people in the painting are Italian models.

[Sue Perkick]

And even if everyone did, it’s still worthless. Leo wasn’t present for the Last Supper. And photography didn’t exist. There’s no documentation in the painting. It’s like t*ts on a boar hog. Pointless. I can’t believe this keeps coming up. It offers the same “proof” as a grilled cheese sandwich on ebay.

[FreedomFromGov]

Yea, and if you look at it right to left, instead of left to right, it says “Paul is dead.”

LOL

[Kirkwood]

And superimposed Jesus has 3 eyes and 2 noses which means...?

[muawiyah]

And many of the disciples are suddenly seen to be dining upon severed heads and fingers.

Yes, we see it all ~ the cannibalism represented in the Communion ~ more conspiracies, more conspiracies!!!!!

[Sue Perkick]

I’m serious.

[MindBender26]

If you run the numbers, 100 generations since Christ, average couple with only two children, Jesus’ bloodline would be in 94% oh humans on Earth, and non-negro, non-Jewish (holocaust loss problems) non-orientals would have a 98.5% change of having Jesus somewhere in their bloodline, not the DiVinci code BS.

[Girlene]

LOL. Thanks, Red!

[Jeff Chandler]

(www.thebricktestament.com/)

[TexasCajun]

Da Vinci Code II -- Opens this fall!

[skimbell]

OK then, how do you explain what appears to be the remarkable likeness of Mr. Bill that is burned into the toast at Jesus’ right hand?

[bcsco]

And just how was Da Vinci to know that, by superimposing a mirror image over the original and making both of them semi-transparent, that this supposed image of a woman holding a child would appear? Just how would he be able to figure that out?

There's obviously no answer to that because one can't prove a negative. But there will always be some idiots who jump on any bandwagon to prove speculation about Christ that has no foundation in reality.

If one wants to understand Christ one has to read the Bible. Period!

[rfp1234]

The one on the extreme left of the picture is a pothead!

[Sue Perkick]

How come they were all sitting on the same side of the table?

And if I remember my Sunday school right, why were they sitting?

[SittinYonder]

If you stare at the center of this superimposed image and let your eyes unfocus, you can see pink dots turn into green dots around Jesus’ halo.

[Roccus]

Not a canvas. Painted on a wall. Look up a history of the mural and numerous attempts at restoration, very interesting. A case could be made that non of DaVinci’s original faces remain.

BTW, the article is soooo much hogwash.

[mass55th]

I think I see Kevin Bacon in there too!

[teacherwoes]

If you look real close I suppose you could see the winning lottery numbers as well.

[vetsvette]

Just file this one away along with the theory of evolution and the flat earth theory so they’ll all be located in one place for folks that like this kind of fiction.

[windcliff]

ping

[Roccus]

From another thread

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1871890/posts?page=15#15

[Ben Ficklin]

Wikipedia has enlargeable picture of this that is much clearer.

[Beckwith]

I suppose it doesn’t matter that the painting was rendered 1400 years after the Last Supper and comes from the fertile mind and dexterous brush of Da Vinci.

[Yankee]

Yea, and if you look at it right to left, instead of left to right, it says “Paul is dead.”

It says "cranberry sauce", not "I bury Paul".

Look at it through prism, standing on your head while eating a chalupa.

[theFIRMbss]

>Yea, and if you look at it right to left, instead of left to right, it says “Paul is dead.”

Is this the thing where
I view the fresco and play
"The Wizard of Oz?"

[Domandred]

If you look real close I suppose you could see the winning lottery numbers as well.

4,8,15,16,23,42

[my right]

excuse me, did they pose for Da Vinci? Was he a time traveler? I just don’t understand what all the hoop a laa is about.

[uglybiker]

[CHEE]

Nether do I see anything. It would have saved a lot of time if the scholar simply took a Marks-A-Lot nib pen and drew in anything his little mind could conceive. What special knowledge do these dimwits thank an artist of the 1500’s had to a supper that took place in about 30 AD?

[Pablo64]

So what happens if they play it backwards on a turntable??

(Hey, they've tried everything else!)