Leonardo da Vinci, truth or fiction?

[Elizabeth Schott]

I am not sure if this is the proper posting place for this question, but thought it would work here.

Has anyone ever heard the story about da Vinci painting The Last Supper and his models? I went to hear a speaker and he told this story - which I do not remember hearing during college or since.

It was about the time da Vinci spent on the painting. He picked all of his models easily except Judas. He spent a long time, years, this speaker said, looking for the perfect model to portray Judas and could not find him.

As the story goes, he started to go to some of the seedier areas of the city and finally the prisons to look for his Judas, and finally found a convitected man he liked, got permission for him to model and went to work. He noticed that as the days progressed the model seemed to be getting very sad. da Vinci asked him what the problem was, and the model responded "Master do you not know who I am? Do you not recognize me" da Vinci said "no". Then the model looked at him and said "it was I, who modeled for you two years ago as Jesus".

I thought this was a wild story, but do not know if it is true. Has anyone else heard this?

[Cynthia Daniel]

I have heard that story before, but I have no idea of its truth.

[Steven Sweeney]

Check out the opinion here (from TruthorFiction.com).

[Elizabeth Schott]

Thanks Steven, I was hoping it wouldn't tell me that since it was very intriquing. I do love that site, didn't think they would have a response to this one.

[Timothy C. Tyler]

Sounds like a pulpit true story to me.

[Elizabeth Schott]

I agree Tim, it was an enlightening one too for this speaker.