In 1495, Leonardo da Vinci began work on The Last Supper, a mural that was destined to become one of the most famous and influential works in the history of world art. After ten years of service at the court of the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, Leonardo's work things were deplorable: at 43 years old, he had not yet managed to create anything truly worthy of his brilliant talent. An order for wall painting in the refectory of a Dominican monastery was little consolation, and the artist’s chances of success were illusory. Never before had Leonardo worked on such a monumental painting, nor did he have experience working in the extremely complex fresco technique. Against the backdrop of war, political intrigue and religious upheaval, suffering from the insecurity of his own position and painfully experiencing past failures, Leonardo created a masterpiece that glorified his name for centuries. Debunking the many myths that shrouded The Last Supper almost from the moment of its creation, Ross King proves that the true story of Leonardo da Vinci's celebrated creation is more fascinating than any of them.