The Lost Angel

The great artist, thinker, and one of the greatest geniuses of all time, Leonardo da Vinci, has left behind the immortal painting “The Last Supper.” A legend suggests that he chose an angel-faced young man to serve as his model for the figure of Christ. The young man gave him several sittings.

Twenty-five years later, the artist decided to paint the face of Satan in hell. He searched for a model for a long time until he encountered a criminal, accused of several murders and acts of brutality, being led to jail. With the permission of the authorities, he made the man sit as a model for his new project. The model had a fearful face.

As he was about to add the finishing touches to his painting, da Vinci was surprised to see tears streaming down the model’s face. “What’s the matter?” the artist asked. “Don’t you recognize me? Years ago, I served as your model for Jesus!”

The artist stood speechless. Bad company, negative thoughts, and wrongful deeds had so completely altered the man’s features.