The Last Supper Drawing After Leonardo by Rembrandt

Rembrandt's interest in the greatest of the old masters is proved by the spirited drawing in Berlin, dated 1635, of The Last Supper after Leonardo da Vinci. Rembrandt must have known the Leonardo fresco in Milan, either from an engraving, or possibly from one of the painted copies, which would have been available. The measured solemnity of the original has been transformed by Rembrandt into something very much more agitated. Although the Leonardo is full of movement, Rembrandt has exaggerated it and altered all the facial expressions to form a composition which gives a tremendous feeling of excitement.