Robert Tulip | Leonardo, The Last Supper and the Stars

This event will be held both on-campus and online via Zoom (a link to the online stream will be sent to registered attendees).

Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper is perhaps the most renowned and enigmatic artwork in the world. My research shows that Leonardo constructed the painting by observing the star patterns of the zodiac constellations and using them — in order — to shape the postures and hand gestures of each figure at the table. This approach reflects his maxim that “man is the model of the world.” The demonstrated correspondence between the constellations and the stances of Jesus and the apostles offers new insight into Leonardo’s methods and motives, revealing how his work embodies ancient currents of astral symbolism, religious myth and artistic innovation. The Last Supper thus discloses a hidden cosmology — one that resonates from antiquity through the Renaissance and into our own time.

Robert Tulip has managed the ANU Multi Faith Chaplaincy since 2020 and chairs the ACT Churches Council. His interest in The Last Supper emerged from his extensive research on hidden cosmologies within Christianity. He has a Master of Arts Honours Degree from Macquarie University for a philosophy thesis on The Place of Ethics in Heidegger’s Ontology. He worked for several decades in international development. 

Image: An accurate early copy of The Last Supper by Giampietrino  (1495–1549), after Leonardo da Vinci  (1452–1519), the main source for the restoration of the original (1978-1998), set against the zodiac constellations that Leonardo used as his templates for each figure, made by Robert Tulip using astronomy software SkyGazer 4.5.

The School of Art & Design Seminar series will continue weekly on Tuesdays from 1-2pm, between 17 February and 21 October 2025, co-convened by Dr Alex Burchmore and Alia Parker.