Posted on 02/05/2006 9:54:40 AM PST by wagglebee
A new novel, based "90 per cent on historical facts", depicts Leonardo Da Vinci as a heretic who painted his own face into The Last Supper, and claims that the painting portrays Saint Peter as a traitor and carries a blasphemous message.
The Secret Supper, which has sold more than 500,000 copies in Europe, is set to rival The Da Vinci Code for conspiracy theories about one of the most famous figures in art history.
The novel portrays Da Vinci as a Cathar, a member of a gnostic sect outlawed by the Roman Catholic Church.
The story, which is being fought over by Hollywood studios hoping to emulate The Da Vinci Code phenomenon, is set in 1497 and told by Fr Augustin Leyre, a Vatican monk and expert code-breaker.
He is sent to infiltrate the Santa Maria delle Grazie monastery in Milan, the home of The Last Supper, after anonymous letters to the Pope accuse Da Vinci of concealing subversive ideas in his work. The monk deciphers the painting into a series of Cathar messages, revealing Da Vinci's denunciation of the Church.
Javier Sierra, the novel's Spanish author, claims that most his characters and events are based on historical records. "The book is fiction but 90 per cent of the facts are real," he said.
Sierra suggests that Saint Peter, not Judas Iscariot, is depicted as the villain.
"Saint Peter, the founder of the Church, from whom the Pope directly descended, is holding a dagger in one hand and menacing John with the other," he said. "Leonardo points to the Pope as the traitor of the Church - absolute blasphemy."
Although the Cathars were dismantled by the Inquisition in France, some historians have suggested those who survived took refuge in Spain and Italy and that their last known settlement in the 16th century was at Concorezzo, a town outside Milan.
"During Leonardo's years in Milan, the Cathars lived close to him - a coincidence that has never been underlined," said Sierra.
He refers to the Cathars' doctrine, Interrogatio Johannis - commonly known as The Secret Supper - to confirm Da Vinci's Cathar convictions by drawing comparisons with his masterpiece.
"This is the first time an artist depicts Jesus and his disciples without their halos," he said. "The Cathars did not worship the saints and considered Jesus a human, not the son of God."
Sierra also claims that Da Vinci painted himself as the disciple Judas Thaddeus - St Jude. The author used facial recognition software to compare Thaddeus's image with one of Da Vinci's self-portraits.
"The police use the same software and consider 60 per cent similarities as a good match," he said. "These images showed an 81 per cent match."
The Secret Supper has sparked controversy among academics. David d'Avray, a professor of medieval history at University College London, said that Sierra's claims were "as likely to appeal to professional historians as much as flat-earthers' arguments appeal to professional geographers".
Gillian Evans, a professor of medieval theology and intellectual history at Cambridge university, said most historians believed that the Cathars had died two centuries before Leonardo. "The Secret Supper is no doubt a good read. Just don't confuse it with history," she said.
Ping.
GGG Ping.
+
The author used facial recognition software to compare Thaddeus's image with one of Da Vinci's self-portraits.
He had to use someone's face. I think it is fairly common for artists to paint faces, using features that they are familar with. Dutch Madonnas look Dutch, Italian ones look more Italian, women painters generally paint more feminine characters, men more masculine. Not a real shocker here if he did use his own face.
So many books, so little time!
Another so-called book to ignore.
Would you look forward to a meal at the finest, most celebrated restaurant in the world if the meal was "only" 10% poison?
How original!!!
And to think that some people have the nerve to suggest that these students of history simply want to sell books and cash in! Outrageous!
Ah.... and so it is with with 'religion'. Your comments remind me of this warning found in 2 Corinthians 11: '13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.'
And this warning from from Christ in Matthew 7:20-22 '20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.'
What is the sign of the times? DECEPTION AT ALL LEVELS.....Mark 13:5-7 '5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: 6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.'
"This is the first time an artist depicts Jesus and his disciples without their halos," he said.And there goes his credibility:
Jean Fouquet
Pieta de Nouans (1475)
This guy is either a liar or a moron. Probably both.
As Sigmund Freud said, "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."
The Good LORD does indeed work in mysterious ways :>.
This is pretty silly about Peter's dagger and his speaking to John.
The last supper accounts clearly tell of Peter signaling (and whispering?) to John during the supper. Also John tells of how Peter with a sword cut off the High Priest's servant's ear, during Jesus' arrest, in the Garden of Gethsemene the same evening as the supper. Luke says Jesus told them to get swords (for self defense), then (in Matthew) after Peter's violence, tells him to put it up (with the famous phrase "those who live by the sword die by the sword...")...and then (Luke tells us) Jesus heal's the servant's ear. Showing Peter with sword (or dagger) at the supper is not menacing to John, rather hinting of what he'd do later.
There are lots of details in the gospel accounts which DaVinci clearly was aware of. Also Renaissance Humanism was starting to portray religious figures as more naturally human....hence no halos--DaVinci was cutting edge, of course, so what--but Albegensian? Ha!
The only reason such theories gain traction is through biblical ignorance.
Also Judas Thadeous has no link to Judas Iscariot, the traitor. For DaVinci to paint himself in is not at all unusual...(Rembrandt did it too, along with various other masters) very clever, yes....cutting edge, yes...OK then, meet Leonardo.
And having a knot symbolizing his family sign in the painting? What does that have to do with the Cathari?
***"This is the first time an artist depicts Jesus and his disciples without their halos," he said.
And there goes his credibility: ****
I believe Leonardo painted another picture of the Holy
Family without halos but it was rejected till he put in halos.
And Michaelangelo painted his own face on the LAST JUDGEMENT, showing his face on the flayed skin of one of the Saints. Oh what secrets THAT would reveal!
And Remberandt! self portraits everywhere! What secrets did He know and when did he know it!
And Norman Rockwell! What secret codes did he try to send with his painting of himself looking into a mirror painting himself! On the cover of Saturday Evening Post at that!
Inquiring minds want to know!
Poor Leonardo - he sure didn't deserve all this revisionist hooey.
Thanks Fred! NY Times, go off yourself.
Fortune Is a River:
Leonardo Da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli's
Magnificent Dream
to Change the Course of Florentine History
by Roger D. Masters
You're right, of course. You already mentioned a couple of the obvious points: the dagger or little "sword" has to do with Peter cutting off the ear of Malchus in the garden; Jude (Judas Thaddeus) is a different disciple from Judas Iscariot ("Jude" or "Judas" was a very common name, since Judah was one of Israel's patriarchs).
It's a conspiracy knot!
I don't like Leonardo's painting of Jesus, so I think I'll blow up some stuff in Italy and kill a lot of Italians. </ muslimlogic>
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