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To
The story of the
painting, The Last Supper, is extremely interesting and instructive. The
two incidents connected with it afford a most convincing lesson on the
effects of right thinking or wrong thinking in the life of a boy or girl,
or of a man or a woman.
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 production of this leading character of 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 in our present day, currency of $16.96.
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, "O, 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, "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 right or wrong thinking on the life
of an individual. Here was a young man whose character was so pure,
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.
If you know who wrote this story Please
let me know so that I might give the proper credit to them. I wish to
thank all who sent me the different pictures of The Last Supper. I believe
this one was the clearest.
I pray that you have enjoyed this interesting story as we reflect upon the
greatest last suppers of all time... For it truly was a stepping stone to
the resurrection of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
May God Bless you,
Jim
Once again I Thank YOU for visiting with me... If you
don't know my Jesus as your personal Saviour but would like to, why not,
in your own words, ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins, acknowledge that
you believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, suffered and gave his life on
that old cross, shedding His pure blood as the ultimate sacrifice for you,
and that on the third day arose from the grave and is on the right hand of
God the Father in heaven both now and forever more. And then ask Jesus to
come into your heart and save your soul, writing your name in the Lambs
Book of Life.. If you have accepted Jesus today, that means that your are
saved and born again. You have been adopted into the family of God...
Is you Still have a question then I beg of you to please visit and Read:
May God Bless you, each and everyone. With Love, Jim
Midi playing: It's Supper Time
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