An Analysis of Da Vinci and the Significance of the Da Vinci Code

Da Vinci's Early Life

Ser, Leonardo Italian engineer, mathematician, artist, builder, and musician Piero da Vinci was well-known. His innovations and contributions to music, painting, and science are still in use. Da Vinci lived during the Renaissance Era, which saw numerous important social and cultural shifts throughout the continent of Europe. Da Vinci is well-known for his paintings, particularly for two of them: The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. These artworks have gained notoriety over time for their masterful painting methods. These images also represent a number of ideas that academics and other people find to be debatable. Da Vinci's Early Life

Da Vinci's Education and Career

Da Vinci was born in April 1452 Caterina in Vinci, Italy. Throughout his early life, he showcased his interest and talent in art. Later 1470, Da Vinci joined Andrea del Verrocchio's workshop located in Florence and worked there for fifteen years. In 1482, he moved to Milan and worked for Duke Ludovico Sforza of Milan for seventeen years. During this time, Da Vinci painted several works such as The Baptism of Christ at Verrocchio's workshop and The Last Supper and The Virgin on the Rocks for the Duke of Milan. The interest to study various subjects and to study abroad compelled Da Vinci to move from Milan. Thus, he was able to explore more disciplines such as architecture, human anatomy, mechanics, and artistry. In 1503, Da Vinci worked on the painting, The Mona Lisa, as one of the latest works in Italy. He also worked in a workshop at Rome under the Pope. Da Vinci also worked for King Francis I of France. Later, most of his works remained in the Louvre Museum in Paris for preservation.

The Da Vinci Code

The Last Supper painting has, for many years, yielded controversy due to its portrait and the individuals included. In his novel, The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown explains how Christianity emerged and developed for centuries. Brown discusses various incidences that took place in the past such as the elimination of some parts of the Bible, Holy Grail, Holy societies, and numerous facts that changed in the church's lifetime. In the beginning, Brown includes the assassination of Paris Louvre Museum curator Jacques Saunière (Brown, 2013, p. 4). Saunière claimed to know the truth and secrets about Christianity origin based on Da Vinci's paintings (Brown, 2013, p. 5). According to Brown, the Da Vinci's painting, The Last Supper, holds a part of the truth that the church has hidden for over two thousand years from its followers while threatening individuals who attempt to unveil various 'secrets and truths' of the past (Brown, 2013, p. 5). Brown insists that since the times of Constantine, the church has maintained and hidden the truth about Jesus' marital affair with Mary Magdalene (Brown, 2013, p. 407). This issue is depicted in Da Vinci's painting of The Last Supper where many believe that the woman on the left was Mary Magdalene (Brown, 2013, p. 244). Brown indicated that Mary Magdalene had a marital relationship with Jesus, who later fathered her child (Brown, 2013, p. 245). Also, Jesus appointed her as the leader of his disciples after he was gone. Brown based his work on The Last Supper's painting in the Louvre Museum while claiming that Da Vinci knew all about Jesus especially after working for the Duke of Milan and later for the Pope. The Da Vinci also revolves around the elimination of Gnostic gospels from the Bible. According to Brown, the removal of some biblical books attempted to eliminate any evidence about the real life of Jesus. These claims received backing from some scholars such as a professor from Harvard who urged Christian scholars to engage in research about the real life of Jesus and opposing hiding of some documents from the church followers (Brown, 2013, p. 342).

Controversies Surrounding The Da Vinci Code

Over the years, Brown's theory of The Da Vinci Code has caused controversial thoughts and ideas among Christian followers, scholars, and other individuals interested. According to Brown, "almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false…" (Brown, 2013, p. 235). The code portrays Jesus as a prophet without any specific difference with the previous prophets in the Christian history. Brown also indicated how the apostles of Christ opposed the replacement of Jesus by Mary Magdalene. As a result, Mary fled from Rome to France where she lived with her child, Jesus' daughter. Mary's daughter was married to the French royalty and developed the Merovingian ancestry (Brown, 2013, p. 254). Brown points out that during the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene was pregnant. Thus, her decision to flee Rome was to protect her child and to avoid the wrath of the disciples who feared that she might replace Jesus (Brown, 2013, p. 254). This notion also agrees with the De Boer's theory of The Gospel of Mary about the escape to France and her eventual marriage to the French royalty (De Boer, 2005).

Criticism of The Da Vinci Code

However, The Da Vinci Code and other theories that link Jesus with family and marriage are highly opposed by Christian followers and scholars. This opposition is due to their attack on Christianity and in particular the Roman Catholic Church. Some scholars and Christians believed Leonardo da Vinci was a sacred feminine/goddess worshipper and with indifference towards Christianity. Therefore, in making his paintings, Da Vinci aimed at portraying ill images without enough evidence to provide an intended meaning (Albanes n.d.). Also, without clear evidence on the marital progress between Mary Magdalene and Jesus, many Christian followers and scholars exclude the association of Jesus with marriage about a painting which could not justify itself elsewhere (Albanes n.d.). Through linking the female appearance on The Last Supper painting, scholars and history writers believe that Brown only used historical facts available in the Bible to manipulate the perspective and thoughts of the readers of the book.

Conclusion

The Da Vinci Code has been a source of controversy on Christianity for an extended period now. The code emerged as a result of Dan Brown's analysis of the events that took place in early Christianity about the Leonardo da Vinci's painting of The Last Supper. Many scholars argue that the code was a significant means through which Mary Magdalene was protected and brought to light. Previously, many followers branded Mary Magdalene as a whore as a way to eliminate the history associated with her and her family future life after the death of Jesus. On the same note, other followers disregarded claims about her due to lack of tangible evidence linking her with Jesus in a marital relationship. Nonetheless, The Da Vinci Code emerged as a significant source of historical information, not only about Jesus and Mary Magdalene but about other effects that took place in the past Christianity moments. The code has also been a useful reference point in urging historians to engage in critical and factual research before proceeding to write articles and books that may result in conflicting ideas and thoughts.

References

Albanes, R. (n.d.). The Truth, Dan Brown, and The Da Vinci Code. Retrieved on November 8, 2017 from: http://www.cbn.com/special/davincicode/abanes_truth-danbrown.aspx.

Brown, D. (2013). De Da Vinci code. Luitingh Sijthoff.

De Boer, E. (2005). The Gospel of Mary: Listening to the Beloved Disciple (Vol. 260). A&C Black.