Can't get to Milan to see Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece The Last Supper? As of yesterday, all you need is an internet connection.
Officials place an image of the Last Supper online at 16 billion pixels - 1,600 times stronger than the images taken with the typical 10 million pixel digital camera.
The high resolution will allow experts to examine details of the 15th century wall painting they otherwise could not - including traces of drawings Leonardo put down before painting.
The high-resolution allows viewers to look at details as though they were centimetres from the art work, in contrast to regular photographs, which become grainy as you zoom in, said curator Alberto Artioli. "You can see how Leonardo made the cups transparent, something you can't ordinarily see."
Besides allowing experts and art-lovers to study the masterpiece from home, Artioli said the project provides an historical document of how the painting appears in 2007, which will be valuable to future generations. ( Gulf )