The Story of the Last Supper Painting
The story 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 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 of
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.
For weeks Da Vinci searched for a man with a hard callous face, with 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." 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 know
who I am?" Da Vinci, with 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
surgeon in Rome."
The 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 that teaches so strongly the
lesson of the effects of the 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 fir 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.
Might this not be a lesson that should teach us to look for the "Christ" in
everyone? This story shows us that there is good even in people who have strayed from the
path of righteousness.