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
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 $16.96 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 portrayed 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 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 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 true
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 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.
C Edited this 25th day of December 2002
This page was last updated on: May 12, 2007
Artwork taken from my family bible.
(read amazing story of The Last Supper and how the artwork was painted below)
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The Last Supper by Phillippe de Champaigne
Detroit Institute of Art: Detroit
The Last Supper (Matthew 26:20 - 29)
One of the most solemn and meaningful events in the entire life of our Blessed Saviour is the Last Supper. The evening preceding his betrayal by Judas Iscariot was crowded with the festive events of the celebration of the Passover or Paschal Supper. During the meal Jesus reclined at the table with his twelve Apostles, and spoke of his approaching betrayal by one of those present. He further indicated that the events of his betrayal, arrest, conviction, and execution had been the subject of divinely inspired prophecies, and all that which was to follow was in fulfillment of the will of God.
After the Paschal Supper, Jesus instituted his own Memorial Supper, which was to displace and supersede the Jewish Passover, Taking a loaf of unleavened bread and breaking it into portions for each of those present, he blessed it and gave it to his Apostles, saying: "Take, eat; this is my body." He then took a cup of wine, offered thanksgiving, and gave it to the Apostles, saying: "Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." He then asked those present to continue to carry out this same ordinance of bread and wine in commemoration of his own bloody sacrifice on the cross for the sins of all mankind which was soon to transpire.
I hope you have enjoyed the latest of my pages,
God Bless each one of you!
The midi playing is Song from Heaven
THE LAST SUPPER
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