MILAN, ITALY — Can’t get to Milan to see Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece “The Last Supper?” As of Saturday, all you need is an Internet connection.
Officials put online at an image of “The Last Supper” at 16 billion pixels – 1,600 times stronger than the images taken with the typical 10-megapixel digital camera.
The high resolution will allow experts to examine details of the 15th-century wall painting as though they were inches from the artwork, in contrast with regular photographs, which become grainy as you zoom in, said curator Alberto Artioli.
“You can see how Leonardo made the cups transparent, something you can’t ordinarily see,” Artioli said. “You can also note the state of degradation the painting is in.”
Even those who get to Milan have a hard time gaining admission to see “The Last Supper.” Twenty-five visitors are admitted every 15 minutes, for a total of about 320,000 visitors a year.
The Associated Press
