The Painting of the Last Supper

Topic: Last Supper, Transformation, Sin

The story behind painting of the Last Supper is extremely interesting

and instructive. Two incidents connected with this painting afford a most

convincing lesson on the effects of thought in the life of a boy or girl,

or of a man or woman.

The Last Supper was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci, a noted Italian

artist. The time engaged for its completion was seven years. The figures

representing the twelve apostles and Christ himself were painted from

living persons. The live model for the painting of the figure ofJesus was

chosen first.

When it was decided that Da Vinci would paint this great picture,

hundreds and hundreds of young men were carefully viewed in an endeavor

to find a face and personality of unaffected by sin. Finally, after weeks

of laborious searching a young man, nineteen years of age, was selected

as the modelfor the portrayal of Christ. For six months Da Vinci worked

on the production of this leading character of the famous painting.

During the next six years Da Vinci continued his labors on his sublime

work of art. One by one, fitting persons were chosen to represent each of

the eleven apostles, space being left for the painting of the figure

representing Judas Iscariot as the final task of this masterpiece. This

was the apostle, you remember, who betrayed his Lord for thirty pieces of

silver worth $16.95, in our present day currency.

For weeks Da Vinci searched for a man with hard callous face, with a

countenance marked by scars of avarice, deceit, who would betray his best

friend. After many discouraging experiences in searching for the type of

person required to represent Judas, word came to Da Vinci that a man

whose appearance fully met the requirements had been found. He was in a

dungeon in Rome, sentenced to die for a life of crime and murder.

Da Vinci 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 Da Vinci saw before him a dark, swarthy man, his long shaggy

and unkempt hair sprawled over his face. A face which portrayed a

character of viciousness and complete ruin.

At last the 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 fresco was being painted.

For six months the prisoner sat before Da Vinci, at appointed hours

each day, as the gifted artist diligently continued his task of

transmitting to his painting this base character in the picture

representing the traitor and betrayer of the Savior.

As he finished his last stroke, he turned to the guards and said, "I

have finished, you may take the prisoner away," he suddenly broke loose

from their control and rushed up to Da Vinci, crying as he did so; "Oh,

Da Vinci, look at me! Do you not know who I am?

Da Vinci, 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, "O 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 that teaches

so strongly the lesson of the effects of right and wrong thinking of an

individual.

He was a young man whose character was so pure and unspoiled by the

sins of the world, that he represented a countenance and innocence and

beauty fit to be used for the painting of a representation of Christ.

But during the seven years, following a life of sin and crime, he was

changed into a perfect picture of the most notorious character ever known

in the history of the world.

Content