THE LAST SUPPER
The Story Behind The Painting of the Last Supper
The story behind the 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 of Jesus was chosen first.
When it was decided that Da
Vinci would paint this great picture, hundreds of young men were carefully
viewed in an endeavor to find a face and personality unaffected by sin.
Finally, after weeks of laborious searching, a young man nineteen years of age
was selected as the model for 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).
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, unkempt hair sprawled over his 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 Saviour.
As he finished his last
stroke, he turned to the guards and said, "I have finished, you may take
the prisoner away". The prisoner 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!"
Author Unknown
