Text of the story
An old priest told me this story when I was very young. I have since wondered many times where it came from. No one has been able to tell me. Centuries ago a great artist was engaged to paint a mural for the cathedral in a Sicilian town. The subject was the life of Christ. For many years the artist laboured diligently, and finally the painting was finished except for the two most important figures : the Christ Child and Judas Iscariot.
He searched far and wide for models for those two figures. One day while walking in an old part of the city he came upon some children playing in the street. Among them was a 12-year-old boy whose face stirred the painter’s heart. It was the face of an angel—a dirty one, perhaps, but the face he needed. The artist took the child home with him, and day after day the boy sat patiently until the face of the Christ Child was finished. But the painter still found no one to serve as model for the portrait of Judas.
For years, haunted by the fear that his masterpiece would remain unfinished, he continued his search. The story of the unfinished masterpiece spread afar, and many men, fancying themselves of wicked countenance, offered to act as models for the face of Judas. But in vain the old painter looked for a face that would serve to show Judas as he had envisioned him—a person botched by life, enfeebled by surrender to greed and lust.
Then one afternoon as he sat in the tavern over his daily glass of wine, a gaunt and tattered figure staggered across the threshold and fell upon the floor. “Wine, wine,” he begged. The painter lifted him up, and looked into a face that startled him. It seemed to bear the marks of every sin of mankind. Greatly excited, the old painter helped the profligate to his feet. “Come with me,” he said, “and I will give you wine, and food, and clothing.” Here at last was the model for Judas.
For many days and parts of many nights the painter worked feverishly to complete his masterpiece. As the work went on a change came over the model. A strange tension replaced the stuporous languor, and his bloodshot eyes were fixed with horror on the painted likeness of himself. One day, perceiving his subject’s agitation, the painter paused in his work. “My son, I’d like to help you,” he said. “What troubles you so?” The model sobbed and buried his face in his hands. After a long moment he lifted pleading eyes to the old painter’s face.
“Do you not remember me? Years ago I was your model for the Christ Child.”
Summary
An old priest once shared a story with me. It was about a painter who was commissioned to create a mural for a cathedral in Sicily and the mural depicts the life of Christ. The artist struggled to find suitable models for the Christ Child and Judas Iscariot. Eventually, he found a 12-year-old boy with an angelic face to pose as the Christ Child, but he had difficulty finding a model for Judas. Many men offered themselves, but none fit the vision of Judas as a person corrupted by life.
One day, a dull and dishevelled man stumbled into the painter's tavern begging for wine. The painter saw in his face the embodiment of every sin, and knew he had found his model for Judas. As the painting progressed, the model became increasingly disturbed by his own likeness in the portrait. Eventually, he revealed to the painter that he had once been the model for the Christ Child years ago.
Analysis
The story explores the themes of redemption and the human capacity for both good and evil. The painter's realisation that the same person had posed as both the Christ Child and Judas highlights the complexity of human nature and the potential for transformation. Despite the man's past sins, there is a sense of compassion and understanding in the painter's response to his distress.
The narrative underscores the idea that individuals are not defined solely by their actions or appearances, but rather by the capacity for change and growth. It serves as a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of good and evil within each person, and the possibility for redemption and forgiveness.
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