The Last Supper
The
Last Supper was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci, a noted Italian artist;
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
viewed, 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 searching, a
young man nineteen years of age, was selected as a model for the
portrayal of Christ. For six months, Da Vinci worked on the
reproduction of this leading character in his famous painting.
During
the next six years, Da Vinci continued his labors on this sublimework
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 $16.96USD ~ £12.11GBP in our present day currency)
For
weeks, Da Vinci searched for a man with a hard callous face, with a
countenance marked by scars of avarice, deceit, hypocrisy, and crime; a
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 Da Vinci 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.
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, 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; and for months he 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 our savior. 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 their 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 had
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 toward 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."
Many lessons can be learned from this story of the painting of The Last Supper.
This
is a story of how we often perceive others - how easily we overlook
the Christ within the people we meet, and judge by outward appearances.
This also strongly teaches 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 and unspoiled by the sins of the world, that he
presented a countenance of innocence and beauty fit to be used for the
painting of 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.
The
Last Supper was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci, a noted Italian artist;
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
viewed, 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 searching, a
young man nineteen years of age, was selected as a model for the
portrayal of Christ. For six months, Da Vinci worked on the
reproduction of this leading character in his famous painting.
During
the next six years, Da Vinci continued his labors on this sublimework
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 $16.96USD ~ £12.11GBP in our present day currency)
For
weeks, Da Vinci searched for a man with a hard callous face, with a
countenance marked by scars of avarice, deceit, hypocrisy, and crime; a
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 Da Vinci 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.
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, 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; and for months he 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 our savior. 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 their 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 had
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 toward 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."
Many lessons can be learned from this story of the painting of The Last Supper.
This
is a story of how we often perceive others - how easily we overlook
the Christ within the people we meet, and judge by outward appearances.
This also strongly teaches 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 and unspoiled by the sins of the world, that he
presented a countenance of innocence and beauty fit to be used for the
painting of 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.
da vinci n his painting never ceases to amaze 1 n all... his painting has still many secrets untold, in itz folds.... 
i myself m a gr8 fan of this awesum artist... 
a +K ...
