Strange Story Associated with a Great Picture

New Zealand Tablet, 11 April 1912, Page 59

Strange Story Associated with a Great Picture

It is said that Leonardo da Vinci was - years painting his . famous Last ’Supper on the wall of the old refectory of the old Monastery at Milan, In painting the faces of the apostles, he studied the countenances' of, good men whom he knew. When, however, he was ready to paint the face of Christ,, he could find none that , would satisfy his. conception. .; After ;long and careful search . the painter happened to meet Y one Pietro Bandinelli, a youthful singer belonging to "the cathedral. - Being struck by ■> his beautiful features, and an expression that bespoke an angelic soul, the artist induced the ; chorister to be| the study for- -the divine .face. All was done carefully and ' reverently, but the picture was-yet incomplete; yJDhe,face- of ; Judas was absent. Besides, Leonardo had ... other -. things on hand. He was interested in mechanical inventions. Time jiassed insensibly before he was *ready to put brush to the painting once more. Then he began the search of a model for the Judas. As the artist was about to dismiss, with his pay, the miserable and degraded wretch he had . at last found, the man looked up at him and said, “ You have painted me before.” Horrified and dumb with amazement, the painter learned that the man was Pietro Bandinelli. During those intervening years Pietro , had been in Rome, studying music, had met with evil companions, had given himself up to drinking and gambling, had fallen into shameful dissipation and crime. Leonardo had found him in a prison. ' .. —lt is an old story, and seems to be fairly well authenticated. Whether it is true or legendary, however, it well illustrates the fact that character is painted on the face. hat we do week by week, year by y ear appears at- last upon our countenances. The old proverb says that beauty is but skin. deep. Some so-called beauty may be. The art of make-up is a great art. It was a marvellous gift that enabled a Macready or an Irving to represent the living aspect a Richard 111., to look on-us with the face of Macbeth, to make hate and love, ferocity and magnanimity, , humor and grief reveal themselves successively in glance : and feature. But these are only surface views of face-change. The real face artists do not work from the. outside. . To know them andtheir work is to know the central powers in heaven and earth. The human face, in any approach by it to the ideal, whether of supremest beauty or prevailing ugliness, is the greatest creation of' time. - Everything is ultimately summed up in the face, ' The years and the passions alike paint themselves there. The daily doings ff!V^ nkingS l eave their mark. Meanness records e f there, and so do benevolence, courage, virtue animosity—everything. a ; f ' ’