The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

This work by da Vinci is a mural painting on the dining hall wall of a monastery in Milan, Italy. The painting was begun in 1495 and completed in 1498, although the artist did not work on it continuously. Unlike a fresco, painted on wet plaster, da Vinci painted The Last Supper on a dry wall. This method meant that deterioration began only a few years after completion, with figures rendered unrecognizable in less than 60 years. It was so poorly regarded that a doorway was cut through the painting and, although it was later bricked up, its outline can still be seen. The last restoration took 21 years and was finished in 1999. The result has been the subject of significant controversy over its faithfulness to the original.