. Leonardo da Vinci, artist, thinker and man of science;. ceproper to the Godhead incarnate ; and that of Judas, which also gavehim much anxiety, since he could not imagine a form by which torender the countenance of a man, who, after so many benefits received,had a heart so base as to be capable of betraying his Lord, and theCreator of the world. With regard to the second, however, he wouldcontinue to make search ; and, after all, if he could find no better, hemight always make use of the head of that indiscreet and importunatePrior. This last touch made the Duke laugh heartily ; he declaredL
. Leonardo da Vinci, artist, thinker and man of science;. ceproper to the Godhead incarnate ; and that of Judas, which also gavehim much anxiety, since he could not imagine a form by which torender the countenance of a man, who, after so many benefits received,had a heart so base as to be capable of betraying his Lord, and theCreator of the world. With regard to the second, however, he wouldcontinue to make search ; and, after all, if he could find no better, hemight always make use of the head of that indiscreet and importunatePrior. This last touch made the Duke laugh heartily ; he declaredLeonardo to be completely in the right ; and the poor Prior, utterlyconfounded, henceforth occupied himself in overlooking the workers inhis garden, and left Leonardo in peace. We know, however, thatLodovico was at last obliged himself to press the over-fastidious June 30, 1497, he ordered one of his agents to beg Leonardothe Florentine to finish his work in the refectory of Santa Maria 9Stiidy foi the Head of ait Apostle. (WINDSOR ) ,. Printed by Draeger, Paris STUDIES FOR THE LAST SUPPER 187 delle Grazie. The master finished the Virgin (this is a slip ofVasaris, for there is no Virgin in the Last Sitpper) and Judas, aperfect type of treachery and cruehy. As to the head of Christ, heleft it unfinished. Another sixteenth century writer, the Milanese Lomazzo, hascompleted Vasaris story by explaining why Leonardo left the head ofthe principal figure unfinished. After endowing the two saints, Jamesthe Greater and the Less, with the beauty we still admire, even in theruin to which the Ccnacolo is reduced, Leonardo, despairing of render-ing the head of Christ in accordance with his ideal, took counsel withhis old friend Zenale, who made this memorable speech to him : Leonardo, the fault thou hast committed is one of which God onlycan absolve thee. It is of a truth impossible to conceive of faces morelovely and gentle than those of S. James the Greater and S. Jamest
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