Portrait of Isabella d'Este based on the sketch by Leonardo da Vinci

"Isabella d'Este" © 2014 by Hikaru Hirata-Miyakawa

"Isabella d'Este" (Homage to Leonardo da Vinci)
Acrylic on canvas
© 2014 by Hikaru Hirata-Miyakawa

Here is my rendition of the portrait of Isabella d'Este based on the sketch supposedly made by Leonardo da Vinci. 

drawing by Leonardo da Vinci
citation: Wikipedia

Although some authorities claim that they have recently discovered the completed authentic Leonardo piece of  the said portrait of Isabella, I disagree with such claim. 
I am ultra conservative when it comes to the authentication of the works especially by Leonardo. 
There seem to be a sort of an inflation of such attribution these days. 
To me the final portrait has never been done by Leonardo, and since Isabella had repeatedly asked Leonardo to do her portrait, I did it in my style instead basing the composition on the drawing "done" by Leonardo.  This painting of mine has nothing to do with trying to complete the painting in Leonardo's manner. 

The painting of mine shown at the top is currently being displayed at eTown Hall in Boulder, Colorado.
It is part of my solo art exhibition (from November 16th, 2014 through January 31st, 2015).

The Last Supper and the Holy Thursday

Today is a special Thursday before Easter.

It is usually understood as a day when the final supper - the "Last Supper" took place with Yeshwa (Jesus) and the 12 disciples. (There are other theories regarding the nature of this supper, and some are claiming that this was not the Passover Seder.)

Each year around this time, I contemplate about this sacred Thursday in relation to the mural of the Last Supper painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.

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Between 1995 and 1999, I have painted the mural of the Last Supper based on Leonardo's brilliant work at the high school where I was teaching back then. I have spent around 2,000 hours total to complete this painting.
（これは私がまだボールダーのシュタイナー高校で教えていた頃２０００時間を費やして描いた、レオナルド・ダ・ヴィンチの「最後の晩餐」をベースに画いた「複製」壁画。師レオナルド大先生と私の生徒達に捧げた。）

Hikaru has created the mural based on "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci 「最後の晩餐」

I see the immaturity in my technique and the interpretation to the point that if I were to paint the mural again, I would have done it differently.

What I wanted to share today is not about my painting, but the environment where Leonardo's original is located. Back in the days of Leonardo, this room was used as a dining room for the Dominican monks. Whether the monks actually took meal or not, I do not know, and if so, I also do not know whether they ate silently or not. Either way, it must have invoked the special feelings to be in the middle of the room between the 2 large murals depicting the meaningful, intense scenes from the Gospels. 

It is easy to focus upon the now faded but magnificent mural by Leonardo, but there is another mural on the opposite (south) side of the room facing the Last Supper.

It is depicting the crucifixion of Yeshwa with 2 thieves surrounded by the multitude of people. 

This mural was painted by Giovanni Donato da Montorfano, and Leonardo was said to have painted the family of his patron, Ludovico il Moro (now also faded).

Anyone standing between the 2 murasl with the keen sense would notice that he/she is standing in the timeline between the 2 major events, one on Thursday early evening and the other one on Friday afternoon when Yeshwa had expired on the cross.

Then, what did take place between the supper and the crucifixion?

If we stick with the Gospels, we are reminded of the story of the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane followed by the "delivering-up" of Yeshwa by Judas. I say delivering-up instead of using the word "betraying" because in both Koine Greek and Aramaic, the word translated as "betraying" is actually "deliver-up".
( The word for betrayal in Aramaic is different.) 

Then, Yeshwa was challenged by Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate. Yeshwa was also mocked and shamed. 

Meanwhile, most of the disciples departed him, and Peter did deny knowing him. 

Barabus was forgiven, and Yeshwa was condemned to death. Then, Yeshwa walked along the stations of the cross (i.e., the miraculous story of Veronica's veil). 

Eventually, he was crucified and uttered the 7 Last words before he expired. 

Anyone visiting the room can contemplate what the monks in those days may have contemplated. One of the themes may be the acceptance of enormous challenges (responsibilities), agony, humiliation, and death (symbolic) in one's life before the triumphant rebirth.

Leonardo during his life also had faced numerous challenges. On some occasions, he was humiliated as well, but he kept on going and endured. 

I wonder what went on in his mind (and through his heart )while he was composing and executing this mural.

I sincerely hope that we can embrace the given challenges, whatever that may be, and not only overcoming them but to transform ourselves and keep shining our inner beauty towards the world in this auspicious year of 2012! 

The drawing of a left hand by Leonardo da Vinci (or his follower)

The drawing of a left hand of Thomas

The two hands in the Last Supper by HIkaru

 

 

I've recently come across the image of what appears to be the drawing of a left hand done by Leonardo da Vinci or by his follower. I did not need to ask myself the questions such as : "Who's hand is this?" or "For what purpose did Leonardo (or his follower) draw this hand?"  It was obvious to me that this hand 'belonged' to Thomas in "The Last Supper" by Leonardo. 
Although the restoration work of "The Last Supper" was criticized by some of the art critics and the art historians, I applaud the painstaking 22 year effort of Dr. Pinin Brambilla Barcilon.  One of the mysteries or questions I have had had been cleared. It has to do with the left hand of Thomas. When I was preparing for the mural of quasi-copy of Leonardo's "The Last Supper," I have come across with some literature mentioning of the presence of the left hand of Thomas. Certainly, I have seen the left hand of Thomas painted by the early copyists of the mural, but I was not able to make out the shape of the hand by examining the pre-restoration photos of the original mural. Some restorers in the past seem to have painted the bread in the place of Thomas' left hand. In 1995-1996, when I was painting the copy, I've had to use the copies of the mural done by the followers to figure out where to place the left hand, for the restoration of the original mural was still not complete, and the photos were not yet available. (The image is from my mural. You can see the left hands of James the Greater and Thomas.)
Thanks to the restoration by Dr. Brambilla, I can see the left hand of Thomas with its fingers somewhat bent.

If you go to the following site, you can see the drawing in question. If you pay attention to the thumb, you can see that it appears to be "cut off". It is because the person is holding or holding onto the table. If you remember the gesture of Thomas, while he is pointing upwards with his right hand, the torso is leaning towards Jesus; therefore, he needs to hold onto the table in order not to fall forward. Also, from the evidence that the horizontal table line where the thumb is cut off is slightly raised towards the hand, and the fingers appears to be bent, one can imagine that it is due to the force of the left hand grabbing onto the table and pulling the table cross. The thumb is grabbing the side of the table, so it is hidden from the viewer.

http://www.art.com/products/p13304152-sa-i2453024/leonardo-da-vinci-study-of-a-left-hand.htm?ui=5CE751E79C224472B883B0C14D5355F5

http://www.art.com/asp/View_HighZoomResPop.asp?apn=13304152&imgloc=23-2362-Z00DJG2Y.jpg&imgwidth=776&imgheight=773

THAT A PAINTER IS NOT ADMIRABLE UNLESS HE IS UNIVERSAL

"Come il pittore non è laudable se quello non è universale." - Leonardo da Vinci

The quote above is translated in English as "that a painter is not admirable unless he is universal," ("画家は万能でなければ賞賛に値しない" - Japanese) and appears in Leonardo's so called, "notebook" volume one (compiled by Jean Paul Richter). The notebooks are available in many forms including the 2 volume set by Dover Publications.

After the initial encounter of Leonardo's life on TV in 1972, before you know it, I was at the school library reading the biography of this great master. It was very thick book, but I was devouring the content. Then, I was buying up the books on Leonardo and other artists of the Italian Renaissance. I was still 10 - 11 years old, so I could not read some of the kanji characters, but I cherished them nevertheless. I still own all of the art/ art history books I have bought (or given as the gift after begging...) I still use them as the references. 
Then, soon after, I came across with the above quote. I felt as though I was struck by a lightening! Even for the mind of a 5th grader, the words invoked the sense of wonder and the responsibility. "What does he mean by " being universal?"
I immediately sensed that in order to paint something, one needs to know, not only that something in question, but all the possible relationship that something has in the world / universe. (By the age of 17, I have added another dimension to the understanding of this word, universal.  I have equated the Delphic saying, " γνῶθι σεαυτόν (Know Thyself!)" to the meaning of being universal: To know myself (microcosmos) fully is to know the universe (macrocosmos.)

Was I living in Renaissance Italy in my past life?

It maybe odd to think about my fascination with Leonardo and the Italian Renaissance since my youth, but I wouldn't be surprised if I were to find out that I was living in Italy during the 15th /16th century.  It is also interesting to know that around the same time of my encounter with Leonardo da Vinci, I began to have the interest in exploring the world of the Greek Mythology. Along the line, I have become fascinated with the images depicting the life of Christ. I remember, during the 6th grade year, I often drew the crucifix (not just a cross but Christ on the cross) as if I was possessed by some invisible power, so to speak. Why is it interesting? It is because the Renaissance artists were commissioned to create the scenes from the Bible or the Greco-Roman Mythology most of the time (if not the portraits/statues of the patrons and/or  some sort of the historical depiction...the battle scenes, for example...) Also, the word, Humanism, of Renaissance had everything to do with the honoring of the classics, for it had the close relation to the word, humanités. So, in a way, my awakening to the Italian Renaissance , at the same time, had led me to the birthing of the Renaissance era of my life as well.

"Hello, my name is Hikaru, and it is wonderful to meet you, Maestro Leonardo"

I wish I could meet him as who I am. If such wish could be granted, then, what should I say to him? ...a simple, "Hello, my name is Hikaru, and it is wonderful to meet you...." ?
At any rate, the encounter did happen, only that it was not in person...
It was in 1972, when I was still 10 years old.  My teacher( who happened to be my mother) allowed me to watch the TV program to do with Leonardo da Vinci. It was originally filmed in Italy but dubbed in Japanese. For the next few days, I was glued to the TV. The light within me was ignited. I as inspired by this man of many talent, to say the least. This "event" has set the life direction. Since this fatal encounter, Leonardo has become my mentor and the master. I remember copying the Renaissance paintings one after another... some as the pencil drawings, and others as the water color painting. The painting below is my water color rendition of "the Last Supper" by Leonardo from 1973. It is unfinished.  One of my dream was to paint the copy of Leonardo's "the Last Supper" as a mural. I had to wait until 1995 for that dream to come true, but that story will be dealt in the future. It has been the life long pursuit to know about Leonardo, and now I am writing a book about Leonardo da Vinci from the point of view of an artist who has "followed" him.  More to come...

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