16 billion pixel image of “Last Supper” online
Rushda:
October 28th, 2007
Art enthusiasts will be excited to see that one of Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous paintings, The Last Supper, has been put up on the internet at a 16 billion pixel resolution. The 15th-century artwork can now be seen here in fine detail, 1,600 times more detail than traditional 10 megapixel cameras.
The work, which is displayed in Italy’s Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie and viewed by 350,000 tourists a year, can now be seen by experts on their computers as though it were mere centimetres away. The picture can be seen without all the graininess associated with zooming in on ordinary photographs. As art curator Alberto Artioli explains:
“You can see how Leonardo made the cups transparent, something you can’t ordinarily see. You can also note the state of degradation the painting is in.”
Perhaps now Da Vinci code enthusiasts will be able to analyse the painting for themselves and put their minds to rest at last - or perhaps bring to light a further conspiracy.