?Last Supper? painting may include two Leonardo da Vinci self-portraits

Could both of these "Last Supper" figures be da Vinci self-portraits? (Original image, Wikicommons)Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" may include two self-portraits of the legendary Renaissance artist, according to a British art expert.

Ross King says the nose, beards and hairstyles of two of the apostles standing to the right of Jesus in the portrait, Thomas and James the Lesser, match a portrait of Leonardo that was made several years after he created his masterpiece.

King told the Independent that while historians have long-suspected Leonardo placed images of himself in his works, no one has thoroughly researched "The Last Supper" for such evidence.

The 15-x-29-foot painting has been the source of endless speculation, though most of the analysis has focused on hidden meanings within the painting itself, such as how each of the apostles is reacting to the revelation that one of them has betrayed Jesus.

Still, King concedes that there is no definitive record of Leonardo's physical appearance but says the Greek physical characteristics were "rarities for an Italian man of that period," according to UPI.

Leonardo da Vinci scholar Charles Nicholl supports King's hypothesis, telling the Independent,"Of all the apostles that [Leonardo] would wish to be identified with, I think Doubting Thomas would be top of his list because Leonardo was a great believer in asking questions rather than accepting what people tell you."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/last-supper-painting-may-two-leonardo-da-vinci-201400070.html

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