Gestures in Renaissance Art Depictions and Their Psychological Importance for the Subjects-Taking The Last Supper As An Example

Abstract

This investigation looks into the gestures and psychology behind Renaissance painting. By looking at the gestures, postures and facial expressions of painted figures in The Last Supper, the author will strive to cast a glimpse into the psychological activities of the characters which in turn will reveal the messages that the painter intended to convey. The author extrapolates psychological theories onto the artwork by Leonardo Da Vinci, The Last Supper. The method for investigation will mainly focus on the case study and literature review, through which the author will look into other people’s studies on the subjects of the painting, the use and depiction of gestures during the Renaissance period and other periods. The result of the investigation is that behavioral psychology could be traced back to the Renaissance and the gestures used in artworks such as The Last Supper convey a multi-layers of meanings. For example, Jesus’ tranquility fits into both the dynamic narration of the biblical story and the static rendition (painting) of it. Psychology is indeed something both explanatory and the basis for delivering certain messages in painting as evidenced in the artwork of interest.