Episode 105: The Da Vinci Code
The meaning of the title of the work
It was painted by Leonardo da Vinci, the representative painter of the Renaissance.
Since he painted it, it was naturally expensive, and on top of that, it was a portrait of Jesus.
It was obvious that the price would skyrocket.
This painting was stored in the British royal family and later appeared at an auction.
After it was confirmed to be authentic, it was purchased by Dmitry Rybolovlev, the owner of AS Monaco, and its current price is 142.2 billion won.
Of course, Kang Lim knew that this painting would become the most expensive painting in the world.
A few years later, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia would purchase it for 530 billion won.
‘But anyone would know that da Vinci’s paintings would become that valuable if left alone. They are highly scarce.’
Leonardo da Vinci left less than 20 oil paintings during his lifetime. Two of them are incomplete.
Owning his work is difficult even for national museums.
‘But what’s funny is that Salvator Mundi was sold for just 70,000 won at a Christie’s auction in 1958.’
It wasn’t recognized as da Vinci’s work and was identified as a fake by his disciple.
As they carefully removed the paint for restoration, the underlying painting was revealed, confirming its authenticity.
However, there was constant controversy in academia about the results of the appraisal.
The original sketch that was revealed also seemed insufficient to be considered da Vinci’s work.
There was no record of him receiving a commission for the piece, which further fueled doubts.
The argument was that it made no sense for da Vinci, who was already a famous painter at the time, to secretly work on a piece.
‘The professor probably wants to prove that this is a forgery. Having studied da Vinci for a long time, it’s natural for Salvator Mundi to seem odd to him.’
Kang Lim glanced at Shin Hansoo.
His empty eyes were gazing out the train window.
He suddenly felt guilty. Was it a mistake to voice his thoughts…?
Shin Hansoo, as if conscious of Kang Lim, opened his mouth.
His gaze still fixed outside the window.
“I thought you’d believe it was a forgery. At least if you’ve studied anatomy, you’d know that da Vinci wouldn’t draw hands so foolishly.”
“That’s right. Even a non-major could notice that it’s significantly wrong. It’s an impossible hand posture to replicate.”
“That’s not all. The painting is too different from da Vinci’s style. It shows no understanding of materials. It’s full of traces where the paint was crudely applied.”
“That’s correct too. Da Vinci was someone who delicately spread pigments to subtly blur the outlines.”
Shin Hansoo furrowed his brows.
In the end, the conversation they were having was only scratching the surface.
How long had he been pursuing the truth?
From the life and works of da Vinci recorded in history, to the restorers at the Metropolitan, to the owners of Salvator Mundi… It was through extensive research that he concluded it was a forgery.
To calm himself, he closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.
“Sigh… But why would da Vinci deliberately paint it to look like a fake?”
“Professor, it’s just my opinion. Don’t think too much about it.”
“It’s your opinion that bothers me. Just wait until you can’t prove it.”
“…”
Shin Hansoo let out a laugh as if he couldn’t believe it.
Come to think of it, it was amusing that this young man, who looked like a puppy, made a statement that overturned his opinion.
Should he say it was admirable courage?
“You are indeed fascinating. To deny all my research data right in front of me…”
“I’m sorry if I was disrespectful.”
Usually, artists wouldn’t act so boldly in front of critics.
There’s nothing to gain from earning their dislike.
“Where does that confidence come from?”
“It’s not confidence, but trust in you, Professor.”
“Trust in me?”
“You wouldn’t alter your critique due to personal feelings. If you were that kind of person, you wouldn’t have reached your position.”
At the wise answer, Shin Hansoo burst into laughter.
A young man, barely an adult, already had the knack for dealing with people.
“Haha. That’s quite an annoying yet irresistible answer.”
“It’s the truth.”
With that, the two finished their over 7-hour train journey.
It was a direct train from Paris to Milan.
‘Sigh, one wrong word could send me to the other side of the world.’
Kang Lim couldn’t believe they had arrived in Italy.
To move so swiftly…
To put it nicely, Shin Hansoo was a passionate person, but negatively, he was rather unilateral.
‘Well, people with a firm stance are the ones who succeed. He’s an amazing person.’
To reach the top in any field, you must devote your all.
No one can emulate the concentration they exude.
The Santa Maria delle Grazie church survived the bombings of World War II along with this painting.
Thus, it gained more mystique, and tourists visit it as if on a pilgrimage.
Da Vinci’s mystery is perhaps aided by history.
‘The church wall is indeed different. Only the part with the mural wasn’t rebuilt. The rest had collapsed…’
Kang Lim stood beneath the enormous painting before him.
As he inhaled, he could smell the scent of the ancient site.
A masterpiece measuring nearly 5 meters in height and 9 meters in width.
With Jesus in the center, the 12 disciples are divided into six on each side. Among them, the disciples are grouped into three, with three windows. The space is symmetrically depicted.
Although the composition is arranged in an orderly sequence, it does not feel suffocating or monotonous.
This work captures the moment of Jesus’ dramatic declaration.
‘One of you will betray me.’
The immediate shockwave from those words.
Unlike the calm acceptance of his foretold death by Jesus, the disciples’ eyes fill with anxiety.
A person proclaiming their innocence with both hands outstretched.
A person leaning in sorrow, unable to believe it.
A person trying to guess who it is.
A person slamming the table with a knife in hand…
The 12 disciples begin to group together and show signs of division.
The expressions of the characters are as intense as those of actors on stage.
It feels as if you can hear the voices of those about to leap from their seats.
Each one is alive.
They are portrayed with the personality described in the Bible.
“It’s truly a masterpiece. This is the master piece.”
Seeing the work he had only seen in textbooks in person had an overwhelming aura.
Kang Lim thought this was da Vinci’s best work.
It was far more overwhelming than seeing the Mona Lisa at the Louvre.
As if reading Kang Lim’s mind, Shin Hansoo spoke.
“Although the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper are considered da Vinci’s representative works, I too think this is the most perfect. If we had seen it right after it was painted, before any restoration, how amazing it would have been.”
“That’s right. Even now, it feels alive, so it must have been truly incredible.”
Shin Hansoo checked his watch.
This place, with restricted admission and viewing time.
Now they had only 15 minutes left.
“Let’s get to the main point, the connection between this painting and Salvator Mundi. We have 15 minutes.”
Kang Lim looked up at the painting with a slight smile.
The time was more than enough, his expression seemed to say.
“Professor, have you heard the story? The anecdote contained in this painting.”
“Do you mean the model da Vinci hired to paint it?”
“Yes. He searched for models for 6 years to complete the 11 disciples and Jesus. He particularly liked the 19-year-old young man who modeled for Jesus. He said his clean and good-natured appearance was the perfect face of a savior…”
Kang Lim approached the painting as he spoke.
“But he delayed completion because it was hard to find a model for Judas, who betrayed Jesus. The frustrated mayor of Rome took da Vinci to an underground prison, telling him to find Judas among the prisoners awaiting execution, saying a heinous murderer would have a face similar to his.”
Shin Hansoo nodded and said.
“Right. Eventually, he brought a vicious-looking man from the prison. When the painting was completed, the murderer asked da Vinci, ‘Don’t you recognize me?’ When da Vinci replied, ‘I have never seen a man like you,’ the murderer answered, ‘I was the model for Jesus six years ago.’”
“Haha. That’s right. The holy face had turned into a heinous criminal. Shocked by this, da Vinci never painted Jesus’ face again, according to the story.”
“…So what’s the relevance?”
Kang Lim slowly stepped back.
Footsteps echoed in the empty monastery.
When The Last Supper came into full view, he stopped.
He took out a plate of Salvator Mundi from his pocket.
“Professor, I think this painting is not a portrait of Jesus, but of Judas.”
Was it because of the bold notion, or the cold air in the cathedral?
Goosebumps ran down Shin Hansoo’s spine.
But he tried not to show any agitation.
Because there was no evidence.
“What you’re talking about is just an anecdote, not historical material. Your claim is just a notion. Salvator Mundi is too crude to be painted by da Vinci, but saying it was deliberately portrayed that way because it’s Judas is too far-fetched.”
“Then what if we interpret it along with the codes embedded in The Last Supper? If it’s a painting left by da Vinci, it has value, right? Calculating by the estimated date, Salvator Mundi was painted after this.”
“…If that’s possible.”
Kang Lim took two steps to the left.
It was where Judas was depicted.
Judas, spilling the salt cellar right after hearing the words that a betrayer would emerge.
As if saying, ‘The hand of him who betrays me is with mine on the table,’ the only ones with their hands on the table in the entire composition were Jesus and Judas.
Judas’s guilty expression strongly contrasted with John, who was sorrowfully resigned next to him.
“As you know, Professor, ‘The Last Supper’ has been painted many times as a sacred painting. Only da Vinci uniquely included Judas in the supper. No one attempted this before.”
“Yes, that’s why it transcended the times. It was a bold attempt. If it were the medieval era, he’d be burned at the stake.”
“The bold attempt is more evident in Jesus’ face.”
Kang Lim took two more steps to the right.
To the center of the painting, where Jesus was depicted.
Kang Lim pointed to the window painted behind Jesus’ head.
“Before da Vinci, everyone painted a halo behind Jesus’ head. A circular halo to show he was divine. But there’s no halo in this painting. There’s only a window letting in bright light behind Jesus. And that window isn’t just behind Jesus. The disciples on either side also have it. Da Vinci didn’t paint a god but a ‘human.’”
“Yes, that’s the value of the Renaissance. Because he broke the medieval style that centered around gods, da Vinci is called a genius. But that doesn’t mean it’s Judas’s face.”
“One more thing. The most important of all.”
Kang Lim pointed to Jesus’ temple on tiptoe.
There was a hole where a nail had been driven in.
“Scholars interpret that hole as the vanishing point of this painting.”
“Because all the lines of the ceiling beams and the walls on either side converge at that point.”
“That’s a trap. Da Vinci just aligned the position to hide the code.”
“…What are you talking about?”
Shin Hansoo closely examined the hole in the mural.
A mysterious aura made him feel an inexplicable chill.
“This is a painting declaring the death of God. It’s a daring painting with a nail driven into Jesus’ head. The reason for including Judas in the supper is the same. To hide the code that corrupt religious leaders who sell out Jesus for money would emerge.”
That’s how the world actually turned out.
Many people lived according to the Bible, worshiping God with good hearts. But there were also many who got hurt hearing news about corrupt leaders.
Every day, new cults with different names were born, making it even worse.
“Da Vinci, even before Nietzsche, spoke about the importance of living by human will, not relying on God. The only things depicted in this painting are humans.”
At the provocative story, Shin Hansoo swallowed his saliva.
“Professor, think about it. This is the man who left behind thousands of studies on anatomy, flying devices, mathematical calculations, and the optical properties of eyes. It amounted to 7,200 pages. Would such a person drive a nail into Jesus’ head just to get the perspective right?”
“….”
“I have similar observational skills, so I understand, the vanishing point is just an excuse. If you gave me a 9-meter wall, I could draw the perspective perfectly without a vanishing point. Should I prove it?”
“…Enough. I accept it as evidence.”
Shin Hansoo’s voice trembled slightly.
Kang Lim felt that he was slowly convincing Shin Hansoo.
He immediately showed Salvator Mundi and continued speaking.
“All the points your research highlights indicate that Salvator Mundi is Judas.”
Kang Lim pointed to the right hand of the portrait.
“The figure is holding a crystal orb symbolizing the universe. If the figure is Jesus, it means the world is in the hands of the savior. But if it’s interpreted as Judas, it means the world’s authority and wealth are in his grasp.”
“Yes… Moreover, this hand holding the crystal orb is clearly delineated. Da Vinci didn’t use such techniques when painting sacred figures. He established the technique of softening the surrounding boundaries with sfumato.”
“The anatomical flaws were also intentionally drawn to highlight the point that it is a corrupt human. It is not a forgery.”
“….”
Shin Hansoo checked his watch.
The viewing time for the exhibition had ended.
He realized that he was completely convinced by Kang Lim.
