The Pathos Behind Da Vinci's - Last Supper

They say it is a true story. Maybe it is. The fact that the story appears in an old family heirloom Bible, first published in 1923, may add credibility to the story's integrity, depending upon one's personal viewpoint on such matters. The point remains, however, the story itself is nothing less than remarkable.

It has to do with the painting of "The Last Supper" by world- reknowned Italian artist and painter, Leonardo Da Vinci. It's a task that took the old master seven full years to accomplish.

Starting out, Da Vinci wanted to find the perfect Christ caricature for his portrait. You see, Da Vinci always used real people in all his portraits and paintings, so he always searched for just the right "actors" to portray the realism he wanted to capture for his canvass.

According to the story, "hundred 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." Eventually, after searching for weeks, a young man of 19 years was found and selected. For the next six months, Da Vinci worked on the portraiture of Christ as he, the artist, saw Him, the Messiah, in the face and demeanor of this young subject.

Now completed, Da Vinci settled himself into the task of searching for and capturing the faces of the other disciples around that table in the upper room. One by one, over the next six years, Da Vinci searched and worked.

Finally, the work had progressed to the point that there remained but one face left to find -- that of The Traitor himself, Judas Iscariot. It was a face that the old master had purposefully left for last for any number of reasons. Now, near the end of his task, he went on a search not unlike the one he had at first -- looking, scrutinizing, studying faces in endless crowds for just that one face -- the face -- that would tell the story behind the story.

His travels finally took him to a dungeon in Rome, where he had heard resided a man who was thought to be the epitome of what the artist was looking for. Upon introduction, Da Vinci realized his expectations were not disappointed. Indeed, here was a man of dark soul -- a wretched, unkempt and vicious human. Yes, this was the perfect Judas!

By special order of the king, the prisoner was released into Da Vinci's care for the next several months. For both days and nights, the portrait was crafted into the scripted scene. The moment finally came when the portrait was completed and the prisoner was returned to the care of his incarcerators.

Turning to leave, Da Vinci suddenly found himself in the clutches of the prisoner crying out, "O, Da Vinci, look at me! Do you not know who I am?"

Upon the studying the poor man closer, Da Vinci exclaimed that he did not know the man. "O, Da Vinci," the man cried louder, "I am your Christ!! I am the man you painted seven years ago as Christ! O, God, have I fallen so low?" ---------------------------------------

"For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them ... He has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Jesus (Luke 9:56; 19:10) [RFN]

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