The last supper
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but see for yourself.
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The story of the painting of The Last Supper is extremely interesting
and instructive, and two incidents connected with it afford a most
convincing lesson on the effects of right thinking or wrong thinking in
the life of a boy or girl, or of a man or woman.
Leonardo Da Vinci painted the Last Supper and the time engaged for its
completion was seven years. The figures representing the twelve Apostles
and Christ himself were painted from living persons. The life model for
the painting of the figure of Jesus was chosen first.
When it was decided that Da Vinci would paint this great picture,
hundreds and hundreds of young men were carefully interviewed in an
endeavor to find a face and personality exhibiting innocence and beauty,
free from the scars and signs of dissipation caused by sin. Finally,
after weeks of laborious search, a young man nineteen years of age was
selected as a model for the portrayal of Christ. For six months DaVinci
worked on the production of this leading character of his famous
painting. During the next six years, DaVinci continued his labors on
this sublime work of art.
One by one fitting persons were chosen to represent each of the eleven
Apostles with space being left for the painting of the figure
representing Judas Iscariot as the final task of this masterpiece. For
weeks, DaVinci searched for a man with a hard, callous face, with a
countenance marked by scars of avarice, deceit, hypocrisy, and crime
face that would delineate a character who would
betray his best friend. After many discouraging experiences in searching
for the type of person required to represent Judas, word came to DaVinci
that a man whose appearance fully met his requirements had been found in
a dungeon in Rome, sentenced to die for a life of crime and murder.
DaVinci made the trip to Rome at once, and this man was brought out from
his imprisonment in the dungeon and led out into the light of the sun.
There DaVinci saw before him a dark, swarthy man his long shaggy and
unkempt hair sprawled over his face, which betrayed a character of
viciousness and complete ruin. At last the famous painter had found the
person he wanted to represent the character of Judas in his painting. By
special permission from the king, this prisoner was carried to Milan
where the picture was being painted. For months he sat before DaVinci at
appointed hours each day as the gifted artist diligently continued his
task of transmitting, to his painting, this base character representing
the traitor and betrayer of Jesus.
As he finished his last stroke, he turned to the guards and said, I have
finished. You may take the prisoner away. As the guards were leading the
prisoner away, he suddenly broke loose from their control and rushed up
to DaVinci, crying as he did so, "DaVinci, look at me. Do you not know
who I am?" DaVinci, with the trained eyes of a great character student,
carefully scrutinized the man upon whose face he had constantly gazed
for six months and replied, "No, I have never seen you in my life until
you were brought
before me out of the dungeon in Rome." Then, lifting his eyes toward
heaven, the prisoner said, "Oh God, have I fallen so low?" Then turning
his face to the painter he cried, "Leonardo Da Vinci, look at me again
for I am the same man you painted just seven years ago as the figure of
Christ."
This is the true story of the painting of The Last Supper. It teaches so
strongly the lesson of the effects of right or wrong thinking on the
life of an individual. Here was a young man whose character was so pure,
unspoiled by the sins of the world, that he represented a countenance of
innocence and beauty fit to be used for the painting of a representation
of Christ. But within seven years, following the thoughts of sin and a
life of crime, he was changed into a perfect picture of the most
traitorous character ever
known in the history of the world.
Poor Judas. Don't we all betray those dearest to us, by not recognizing
them as the Son of God too, and also in many human ways. he has plenty
of company. What a lesson in how 'body' expresses thought.