Lavazza Continues Their Tradition Of Stunning Calendars With Annie Leibovitz for 2009

I'm a huge fan of Lavazza products, the company and their corporate culture. And each year I look forward to their new calendar, which is unparalleled in its quality and production. Armando Testa of Italy deserves as much of the credit as does Lavazza. A collaboration that has yielded some of the most impressive forms of communication for Lavazza's product lines for 48 years now!

The Last Supper. And the one after that. And after that. And then, even more.

Above: The Sopranos Last Supper for Vanity Fair magazine

Whenever I see popular blog posts and online articles about something in pop culture that references something historical, I always wonder if the ... ahem, younger generations know the origin of the original and how many other interpretations had been created prior to the one they tweeted, tagged, posted on 'digg' or shared on facebook.

Such is the case with a link someone sent me of fun parodies based on Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper. I'd seen the Soprano's Last Supper photo in Vanity Fair and was familiar with the Legos one, since it had been e-mailed to me a ways back. Along with those, the link included just about every pop culture version you could think of -from the Simpsons to Star Wars.


Above: The Last Supper made of Legos

This got me wondering if the people viewing it were aware that The Last Supper was a subject for many well known artists from the 14th-20th centuries, not just da Vinci. From Albrecht Durer to Rembrandt, Tintoretto to Blake, the subject was interpreted by almost every painter who painted for money for centuries. Common sense would tell you that, given that biblical scenes and stories dominated the art world long before any other subjects. But I wondered how many people e-mailing that very link also know that the piece has since been interpreted by the likes of such artists as Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and even photographer David LaChapelle, to name a few.

Well, if they didn't, you can e-mail them this post.

I'm not going to show you the scads of photoshopped and parody versions out there in cyberspace because so many other bloggers have done that already*. Instead of parodies, I wanted to show you other fine art and photographer's interpretations of Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting. Don't groan... you may just learn something.

You are probably used to seeing the original like the one below:

But that is very enhanced for reproductions like posters, etc. To be more accurate, see the next two images (and click on them to enlarge)


Let's start with the original:

Above: before cleaning

Above: after cleaning

Facts:
The subject: The Last Supper
Painted by: Leonardo da Vinci
Where: Milan, refectory of the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent
When: From 1494 to 1498
Size: 460 x 880 cm (181 x 346 in)
Technique: Tempera with oils on white lead and calcium carbonate


A site where you can see the Leonardo DaVinci's Last Supper in amazing detail, down to a pixel.

Wanna see it in person? Please note that starting from April 28th it is possible to book until 30/09/2008. entrance booking info here.

And now some wonderful fine art interpretations of the Last Supper, in chronological order:


Above: Marisol Escobar's Last Supper (1930) installation


Above: Salvador Dali's The Sacrament Of The Last Supper, 1955


Above: Mary Beth Edelson's feminist interpretation, 1971


Above: Hermann Nitsch's Last Supper (1976-9)


Above: Andy Warhol's Last Supper (pink), 1986


Above: Andy Warhol's Last Supper (Dove), 1986

above: Andy Warhol,Last Supper, 1986


Above: Damien Hirst's "Last Supper", 1999


Above: two of the 13 screenprints from Damien Hirst's "The Last Supper" collection, 1999




Above: Devorah Sperber's unusual installation, After The Last Supper, 2005




Above: Francine LeClercq's impressive Last Supper Untitled (installation), 2007

Now, some photographic interpretations of the The Last Supper for both advertising campaigns and personal collections:

above: Underwater Last Supper by photographer Howard Schatz, 2008


Above: by photographer Marcos López, 2001


Above: by photographer Cui Xiuwen, 2003


Above: by Russian film director, Mamedov


Above: by photographer David LaChapelle


Above: unknown photographer, an ad for the Folsom Street Fair


Above: controversial recreation by photographer Elisabth Ohlsen Watson


Above: Fashion shot by Frank Herholdt


Above: unknown photographer, ad for Francois Girbaud


Above: shot by Annie Liebovitz for Vanity Fair & HBO

Okay, now I know you're dying to see all the parodies (like the one below), so here are the links to those:

above: Clowns Last Supper by artist known as Dark Vomit

*An enormous collection of pop culture and television interpretations of the Last Supper from the Slog, posted by Dan Savage

And yet another collection, Suddenly Last Supper, of photoshopped, staged and fun pop culture versions from The Sopranos to Legos of The Last Supper can be found here.

For real art history buffs, here are links to just a few of the other historical religious paintings of the last supper:

Last Supper, Ickleton, Cambridgeshire, 1150-1200. Medieval Wall Painting in the English Parish Church.
Lord's Supper, German Gothic Sculptor, c 1250. Web Gallery of Art.
Last Supper/Communion of the Apostles, Liturgical Veil, 13th/14th century. Benaki Museum, Athens.
Last Supper, Wissington, Suffolk, 13th century. Medieval Wall Painting in the English Parish Church.
The Last Supper and the Agony in the Garden, Spolto, c 1300. Worcester Art Museum.
Last Supper, Fairstead, Essex, 13??. Medieval Wall Painting in the English Parish Church.
Scenes from the Life of Christ: 13. Last Supper, Giotto di Bondone, 1304-1306.
The Last Supper, Duccio di Buoninsegna, 1308-1311. CGFA.
The Last Supper, Friskney, Lincs, c 1320. Medieval Wall Painting in the English Parish Church.
The Last Supper, Pietro Lorenzetti, 1320-1330. Olga's Gallery.
The Last Supper, Jaume Serra, 1370-1400. Web Gallery of Art.
The Last Supper, Little Tey, Essex, 14??. Medieval Wall Painting in the English Parish Church.
The Last Supper, Jaume Huguet, 1450. CGFA.
Communion of the Apostles, Fra Angelico, 1451-53. CGFA.
The Last Supper, Jacopo Bassano, 1542. Galleria Borghese, Rome.
The Last Supper, Dieric Bouts, 1464-67. Web Gallery of Art.
The Last Supper, Taddeo Crivelli, 1469. Getty Museum.
The Last Supper, Jaime Huguet, 1470. Web Gallery of Art.
The Last Supper, Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1476. Web Gallery of Art
The Last Supper, Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1480. Web Gallery of Art
The Last Supper, Domenico Ghirlandaio, c 1486. Web Gallery of Art
The Last Supper, Pietro Perugino, 1493-96. Web Gallery of Art.
The Last Supper, Leonardo daVinci, 1498.
The Last Supper, Bernaert van Orley, 1500's. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Last Supper, Little Easton, Essex, 15??. Medieval Wall Painting in the English Parish Church.
Christ Instructing Peter and John to Prepare for the Passover, Vincenzo Civerchio, 1504. National
Gallery of Art.
The Last Supper, Albrecht Dürer, 1510.
The Last Supper, Franciabigio, 1514. Web Gallery of Art.
The Last Supper, Albrecht Dürer, 1523.
The Last Supper, Andrea del Sarto, 1520-25. Web Gallery of Art.
The Last Supper, Albrecht Durer, c 1520. Lutheran Brotherhood's Collection of Religious Art
The Last Supper, Bernart van Orley, 1520-1530. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Last Supper, Hans Holbein the Younger, 1524-25. CGFA.
Triptypch with the Last Supper, Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
Plaque with the Last Supper, Jean Penicaud I, c 1530. National Gallery of Art.
The Last Supper, Jacopo Bassano, 1542. Borghese Barberini Corsini Spada Gallery, Milan.
The Last Supper, Juan deJuanes, 1560's. Web Gallery of Art.
The Last Supper, Tintoretto, 1592-94. Web Gallery of Art
The Last Supper, Daniele Crespi, 1624-25. Web Gallery of Art.
The Last Supper, Peter Paul Rubens, 1630. Olga's Gallery.
Glorification of the Eucharist, Rubens, 1630. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Last Supper, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1634-35. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Last Supper, Philippe de Champaigne, 1600's. CGFA.
The Last Supper, Nicolas Poussin, 1640's. Olga's Gallery.
The Last Supper, Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, 1664. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
The Last Supper, Simon Ushakov, 1685. History of Russian Painting.
The Last Supper, Sebastiano Ricci, 1713/1714. National Gallery of Art.
The Last Supper, William Blake, 1799. National Gallery of Art.
The Last Supper, Nikolay Gay, 1863. Olga's Gallery.
The Last Supper, Carl Bloch, 1875, Hope Gallery.

Of course I've left out hundreds, probably more like thousands, of worthy interpretations so forgive me. But now, when you see photo shopped versions of The Last Supper (and believe me, there are hundreds more to come), you'll know that the aforementioned artists did it first.

UPDATE: See Televisions casts posing as the Last Supper, From LOST to MASH here.

Tina Fey As Tinkerbell & More. Fabulous New Disney Shots from Annie Leibovitz

Disney & Annie Do it Again.
Just released late yesterday from Disney Parks, a new fabulous series of images for the “Disney Dream Portrait Series” of celebrity photographs shot by Annie Leibovitz as Disney extends it's “Year of a Million Dreams” celebration throughout 2008.(All photos courtesy of the AP, Jan.28 and 29,2008)

Above: Supermodel Gisele Bundchen, left, is portrayed as Wendy Darling, beckoned by dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov as Peter Pan and actress Tina Fey as Tinker Bell(below), in a scene entitled "Where You Never Have to Grow Up,"


Above: Singers Jennifer Lopez, portrayed as Jasmine and husband Marc Anthony as Aladdin from Disney's "Aladdin," soar through the Arabian night in part two of a dream scene entitled "Where a Whole New World Awaits"

Above: Actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg is portrayed as the Genie from Disney's "Aladdin," in part one of a dream scene entitled "Where a Whole New World Awaits"

Above: Actress Jessica Biel is portrayed as Pocahontas in an image titled "Where Dreams Run Free"

See every beautful Annie Leibovitz celebrity portraits for Disney here in large color with credits and cast.

And here are some fun 'behind the scenes" shots:

Be sure to see all of the Annie Leibovitz Disney Dream Portrait Series here

Annie Does Disney

Stars Play Out Disney Park Fantasies In New Images
Unveiled by Annie Leibovitz

(get your first peek here, they don't break until March issues)

Photography Featuring Scarlett Johansson, Beyoncé and David Beckham Kicks Off Disney's 'Year of a Million Dreams'

To launch Disney Parks "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration, spectacular new images were unveiled today featuring the work of acclaimed photographer Annie Liebovitz, and starring Scarlett Johansson as Cinderella, Beyoncé taking a spin in a giant teacup and David Beckham slaying a dragon.

Leibovitz's images also fulfill one of Beckham's "dreams," as the Disney Parks project is his first endorsement since signing a contract to play professional soccer in the United States.

In addition to the three debut images, Disney Parks has commissioned more images by Leibovitz that will feature other celebrities in classic, Disney fairy tale settings.

Asked by Disney Parks to lend her vision to the campaign, Leibovitz has created inspired images of storybook fantasy come to life. Her photographs for the campaign embody the captivating, narrative style indicative of her world-renowned work.

"I'm really delighted to be part of the 'Where Dreams Come True' campaign," said Leibovitz. "We live in difficult times and I feel, especially as a parent, that keeping dreams alive is one of the most important things we can do."

Each image features a scene with the featured celebrities transformed into the role of a fabled Disney character, expressing their own dreams and imagination.



* As Cinderella, Scarlett Johansson is seen running down a flight of stairs as the clock strikes midnight with her glass slipper unknowingly left behind. The tagline reads, "Where every Cinderella story comes true."

Befitting a true princess, Johansson wears a stunning, one-of-a-kind Harry Winston tiara – a dazzling piece in platinum with more than 62 carats of sparkling diamonds and valued at $325,000. The dress worn by Johansson is a custom-made, Cinderella-inspired gown designed by Nicoletta Santoro.



* David Beckham plays the part of the gallant Prince Phillip from "Sleeping Beauty," atop his trusted steed fighting the evil dragon. The tagline reads, "Where imagination saves the day."

"There were many Disney characters I liked as a kid," said Beckham. "Now my sons love the Disney characters and it's a big part of their lives, a big part of many children's lives around the world. So to be part of that is an honor and very exciting.

"I love going to Disney, I'm like a big kid," he added.



* Beyoncé appears as "Alice in Wonderland," twirling in a teacup, accompanied by Oliver Platt as the Mad Hatter and Lyle Lovett as the March Hare. The tagline reads, "Where Wonderland is your destiny."

"It's two great imaginations coming together – Disney and Annie Leibovitz," said Lovett. "To be along for the ride really is quite something, just knowing that you're going to be part of a great Disney character. And then when you step into the imagination of Annie Leibovitz, you know you're in another world."

"The 'Where Dreams Come True' campaign is about the imaginations and dreams that are inside us all," said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. "By capturing these transformational experiences, these emotional images communicate a powerful concept. Working with Annie Leibovitz was a natural fit – Disney is known for immersive storytelling and Annie is a masterful artist whose photos speak volumes."

The campaign premieres as a special insert in the March issues of Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue, W, The New Yorker, Conde Nast Traveler and Cookie.

As part of the "Where Dreams Come True" initiative, Disney Parks introduced "The Year of a Million Dreams" (Oct. 1, 2006-Dec. 31, 2007). During this 15-month, first-of-its-kind celebration, more than one million very special dreams are being granted to guests visiting Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. The celebration also is highlighted by the debut of innovative Disney attractions and entertainment spectaculars at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts.

For more information about Disney Parks, "The Year of a Million Dreams" and "Where Dreams Come True," guests may visit www.mydisneyparks.com