‘Has AI found any words and symbols hidden in Leonardo’s Last Supper?’

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Leonardo da Vinci believed that to truly understand something, you must acquire thorough knowledge of its nature, which required careful study & perception. He had a three-fold classification about how people see: (i) there are those who see for themselves; (ii) those who see when shown; & (iii) those who don’t see at all. So, to understand what you are looking at, you need to ‘see’ by observing the world with a deep, observant eye, much like an artist does, and understand that the artist’s intention, emotions, and natural philosophy are woven into the work. Some sources suggest this classification is an abbreviation or rephrasing of a quote by Niccolo Machiavelli in ‘The Prince’ about three types of intellect – ‘one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others.’ 

There have recently been claims about AI discovering hidden words and symbols below the surface of Leonardo’s painting of the Last Supper – so I asked AI about this –

AI – ‘General, non-scholarly articles and social media posts have made speculative claims that AI analysis has uncovered “terrifying” hidden messages, words, and symbols in Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, but these lack credible scientific or art historical verification. These reports often appear to be clickbait or part of alternative history discussions rather than established art research. 

Credible research using technology (though not necessarily advanced AI for decoding text) has confirmed:

  • A Hidden Melody: An Italian musician, Giovanni Maria Pala, discovered in 2007 that the arrangement of the apostles’ hands and the loaves of bread on the table, when overlaid on a musical staff and read from right to left (following Leonardo’s writing style), forms a 40-second musical composition, or hymn.
  • Mathematical and Astrological Symbolism: Other researchers have proposed that the painting contains mathematical sequences related to the lunar calendar, and that the positions of the apostles correspond to the twelve zodiac signs.
  • Symbolic Objects: Art historians have long noted conventional symbols of the time, such as the spilled salt container near Judas Iscariot’s elbow, which traditionally symbolizes bad luck or an evil omen. 

The claims about AI finding “secret languages” or “terrifying prophecies” are highly sensationalized and not supported by mainstream art scholarship. The core messages that have been validated by experts using technological analysis are generally focused on Da Vinci’s known interests in mathematics, music, and the use of traditional symbolism rather than secret, world-altering messages.  …

Leonardo da Vinci did not explicitly state that art should be a medium for encoding “secret hidden messages” in the modern, conspiratorial sense (as suggested by popular fiction like The Da Vinci Code). His views on art focused on it being a universal language for communicating knowledge, reflecting nature, and exploring science and philosophy. He believed in a “silent language of images” that could reveal truths about the world and human nature. Key points regarding his perspective:

  • Symbolism was common practice: Renaissance art frequently used complex symbolism and allegory that would have been understood by the educated viewers of his time. These were not “secrets” in the modern sense, but a form of visual literacy specific to the culture of the period.
  • Art as a form of inquiry: Leonardo used his art to challenge religious dogma and present nature as he observed it, which sometimes meant including images that irreverently deviated from traditional interpretations. This might be seen as “hidden meaning” by modern standards, but for him it was part of a commitment to empirical observation and truth.
  • Use of optical effects: He did use techniques, such as the subtle variations in the Mona Lisa‘s smile or the use of sfumato, to create dynamic and ambiguous effects that make the viewer question what they are seeing, engaging the mind in an active process of interpretation.
  • Notebooks and mirror writing: While he wrote his private notebooks in mirror writing, it was likely to prevent smudging (as he was left-handed) or to make it difficult for people to steal his ideas, rather than a general philosophy of hiding codes in his artwork. The content of the notebooks, though titled “Secret Matters” by an early collector, was mainly on mechanics, engineering, and anatomy, not mystical secrets. 

In his Treatise on Painting, he suggested a technique for stimulating creativity by looking at stains on walls or the ashes of a fire, as one might find in them resemblances to various forms and landscapes, which could then be developed into well-conceived art. This highlights his view of images as a means to arouse the mind to various inventions rather than a means to encode a fixed, single “secret message.” Ultimately, while his works are rich in symbolism and open to interpretation, there is no evidence he advocated for art to be used as a medium for encoding secret, hidden messages in the conspiratorial way often imagined today. His art was a profound blend of science, observation, and expression designed to communicate knowledge to those who had “eyes to see”.  …’

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