The subject matter of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper is a major event recorded in the Bible during the life of Jesus Christ - the last meal that Jesus had with his disciples prior to his arrest and crucifixion, where he predicts aloud that one of his disciples will betray him. The after effects and shock from this statement is the moment that is portrayed in da Vinci’s painting. The biblical Last Supper also begins the tradition of the Eucharist, the ritual of consuming bread and wine as Jesus’ body and blood, which still occurs during Christian Mass every Sunday. There is debate about the specific date on which the Last Supper occurred, but new research points to April of AD 33, and the traditional location in which it would have taken place is Mount Zion, in Jerusalem.

As the event of the Last Supper is so important to Christianity, it was painted over and over throughout multiple different art paradigms, as even well into the Renaissance the vast majority of art depicted religious events. With such a popular topic, it only makes sense for da Vinci to have painted it as well.

Sources:

McKenny, L. (April 17, 2011). New theory on date of Last Supper. Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/world/new-theory-on-date-of-last-supper-20110416-...

Lipnick, J. (September 7, 2016). Where Did Jesus Eat The Last Supper? Retrieved from https://blog.israelbiblicalstudies.com/holy-land-studies/where-did-jesus...