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Marc Giauque ReportingToday's opening of the movie, The Davinci Code is prompting debate and some protest among theologians and historians over the idea that Jesus Christ might have married. But there's little debate within the world of art over whether Leonardo Davinci tried to hide a big secret, in some of his works.
Leonardo, as academics call him, the man from Davinci is depicted in Dan Brown's fiction as one of those who knew the secret and left clues in places, like his famous painting of the Last Supper.
"Where is Jesus sitting? In the midddle; He and his disciples are breaking bread. And what drink? Wine."
In the movie it's pointed out the painting has no depiction of a holy grail, that the grail is actually Mary Magdeline, who is in the painting, standing to Jesus right.
True, the character, identified by most as John, looks less manly than the others.
"The painting looks a little more female but that is just subjective."
"It looks like a female to me just facial features and kind of what she is wearing."
But Art History Professor Sheila Muller offers a different explanation.
"John is always shown as this very young person; which as a young boy or young man has certain androgenous characteristics."
Looking at the painting itself, Muller says there are other giveaways. John, for example, was often depicted as sleepy, even in the dramatic moment when Christ revealed a betrayer was in the room.
"So everyone is acting according to character. Judas leans back into the shadow and knocks over the salt with his elbow. John leans onto Peter while falling asleep. And Peter wakes up and starts to rise up and grasps the knife."
Muller says Leonardo was strongly connected with the Catholic Church, but in an artistic way, not as a theological insider.
"Basically, that's based on artistic convention and Leonardo approached science, which was stronger in his art than any kind of theological maneuvering."
Muller says Leonardo may have created fertile ground for legend when he left Rome and took some of his work with him. Her explanation, he may have wanted to show some samples, to help him commission more work.
