Leonardo da Vinci Discovery: Texas Artist to Present New Theory About ’Last Supper’ Masterpiece at Houston Gallery

HOUSTON, TX- April 1, 2009 -- A Texas artist who has researched Leonardo da Vinci’s artwork for almost fifteen years will reveal a new theory about the artist’s epic masterpiece, the ’Last Supper.’ The presentation will take place Thursday April 9 at 6 PM, at Bering and James Gallery, 805 Rhode Place in Houston.

Houstonian J. Antonio Farfan says his latest theory on Leonardo da Vinci centers on the physical arrangement of the twelve apostles as they are seen in the painting gathered around a dining table. The painting is one of the most famous in the world. Farfan said he based the start of his theory about the ’Last Supper’ on findings that surfaced during the 1990’s while the artwork was being restored.

“That restoration uncovered much of the underlying color and the previously unseen fragments of detail,” he said. “What I saw initiated an incredible line of research.”

Leonardo painted the work between 1493 and 1495. It depicts Christ’s last meal with His twelve disciples, at the very moment of his impending betrayal. This ’betrayal’ is chronicled in all four Gospels of the Bible.

Farfan, 41, was born in Monterrey, Mexico. He has lived most of his life in Houston and has been involved in independent research on Leonardo da Vinci for the past fifteen years. Farfan earned a degree in fine arts from University of Houston in 1995.

Farfan is the author of "Cerca Trova: The Last Words of Leonardo da Vinci" published in 2006. The book outlines arcane clues Farfan detected as he studied the ancient portrait, ’Mona Lisa.’ In the book, he provides an answer to one of the most mysterious questions in art history: Who is the Mona Lisa and what does she represent?

Farfan’s answer was new to the art world. He said the woman with the enigmatic smile is Deborah, a little-known prophet and military leader described in the Old Testament.

“The theory about the ‘Last Supper,’" said Farfan, "builds on my findings about the ’Mona Lisa,’ where I point out the significance of the Roman numerals hidden within the Mona Lisa’s hands. My newest theory strengthens the previous one by placing a clear link between the literature in Leonardo’s library and the Fathers of the Church. The web-based method of research used by Farfan mimics the similarities between this technology-based era and that of the renewal of literary investigation in the Renaissance.

Farfan’s interdisciplinary presentation will be his first and will also represent a first for the Bering and James Gallery. For more information, visit Farfan’s website at www.jantoniofarfan.com, or contact the gallery at www.beringandjames.com.
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Contact Information

J. Antonio Farfan

Artist and Leonardo da Vinci Expert

Bering and James Gallery

Contact via E-mail