THE LAST SUPPER

Leonardo Da Vinci, a noted Italian artist painted the Last Supper;and the time engaged for it's completion was seven years. Thefigures representing the twelve Apostles and Christ himself werepainted from living persons. The life-model for the painting of thefigure of Jesus was chosen first. When it was decided that Da Vinciwould paint this great picture, hundreds and hundreds of young menwere carefully viewed in an endeavor to find a face and personalityexhibiting innocence and beauty, free from the scars and signs ofdissipation caused by sin.

Finally, after weeks of laborious search, a young man nineteenyears of age, was selected as a model for the portrayal of Christ.For six months DaVinci worked on the production of this leadingcharacter of his famous painting.

During the next six years DaVinci continued his labors on thissublime work of art. One by one fitting persons were chosen torepresent each of the eleven Apostles; space being left for thepainting of the figure representing Judas Iscariot as the final taskof this masterpiece. This was the Apostle, you remember, whobetrayed his Lord for thirty pieces of silver, worth in our presentday currency $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 betrayhis best friend.

After many discouraging experiences in searching for the type ofperson required to represent Judas, word came to Da Vinci that aman whose appearance fully met his requirements had been foundin 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 broughtout from his imprisonment in the dungeon and led out into the lightof the sun. There DaVinci saw before him a dark, swarthy man; hislong shaggy and unkempt hair sprawled over his face, which betrayeda character of viciousness and complete ruin. At last the famouspainter had found the person he wanted to represent the characterof Judas in his painting.

By special permission from the king, this prisoner was carried toMilan where the picture was being painted. For months he satbefore Da Vinci at appointed hours each day as the gifted artistdiligently continued his task of transmitting, to his painting, thisbase character 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 suddenlybroke loose from their control and rushed up to Da Vinci, cryingas 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 constantlygazed for six months and replied, "No, I have never seen you inmy 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 DaVinci! Look at me again for I am the same man youpainted just seven years ago as the figure of Christ."

This is the true story of the painting of The Last Supper. It teachesso strongly the lesson of the effects of right or wrong thinking onthe life of an individual. Here was a young man whose characterwas so pure, unspoiled by the sins of the world, that he representeda countenance of innocence and beauty fit to be used for the paintingof a representation of Christ.

But within seven years, following the thoughts of sin and a life ofcrime, he was changed into a perfect picture of the most traitorouscharacter ever known in the history of the world.