Leonardo's Judas

An historical novel that is pitched perfectly. Leonardo Da Vinci is at the court of Duke Ludovico Maria Sforza in Milan in early spring 1498. He has been summoned to explain why he has not finished his painting of The Last Supper at the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Leonardo patiently explains that he is looking for the perfect Judas. He claims never to have the painting far from his thoughts as he continues his search high and low for the man who whose features he can copy that will embody how he sees Judas at the last supper. Perutz has set the scene for a renaissance story of the man who will qualify for immortality as Judas in Leonardo's famous fresco. Leonardo Da Vinci fades from the scene as a tale unfolds that show more has all the feel of something written by Boccaccio.

From the very start of the novel at the court of Duke Sforza's court Perutz summons up an authentic picture of Renaissance life, Joachim Behrain a German merchant is visiting Milan to collect a debt, he sees a woman on the street and falls in love with her and although she drops her handkerchief for him she disappears. His search for the woman leads him to the The Lamb a hostelry that is patronised by artists and craftsmen scraping a living on the fringes of Milan Society. The characters are superbly drawn and take the reader effortlessly into the world of these working men; their fears, their humour, their crafts and their problems and just like Behrain I felt like a visitor to this slice of renaissance life. At the Lamb Behrain meets the mysterious Mancino a roustabout who has lost his memory after a blow to the head and who makes his living partly by composing verse:

I know the priest by his apparel
I know the master by the man
The wine by glancing at the barrel
The vanity of life's brief span.
I know praise and I know blame,
Stabs in the back, the lightning blow;
I know honour, vice and shame;
Only myself I do not know.

The identity of Mancino is revealed by Perutz in a postscript to the story and is just one of the lovely surprises that he conjured from this beautifully worked tale. Leonardo Da Vinci's presence is felt throughout the book and he reappears towards the climax of the novel when he finds his Judas.

Leo Perutz was a mathematician and a scholar and Leonardo's Judas was his last novel written in 1957 and published after his death. He was born in Prague and the novel was written in German and has been translated by Eric Mosbacher and it reads superbly well. I loved this little book which I read easily in a day, absolutely taken in by its charm. It appealed to me particularly because of my recent reading of the history of the period, but I think it would appeal to all lovers of historical fiction. A four star read show less

Leonardo’s Judas is more straightforward than some of Pertuz’s other works though, like those books, it is also an ironic historical novel with some interesting twists. The ending was less ambiguous – the characters get what they deserve – and the explanation for the identity of one of the mysterious side characters is more concrete than some that were suggested in Perutz’s other books. Though I preferred the more overt weirdness and ambiguity in his others, this was still a thoroughly absorbing read.

The book opens in the court of the aging duke of Milan, with various courtiers speculating on Leonardo da Vinci’s delay in painting his Last Supper. Leonardo is missing a model for his Judas and this leads to a discussion of show more Judas’ motives. A German horse dealer, Joachim Behaim, is in Milan for business. Behaim plans to leave after finishing up but stays to find a girl that he briefly encountered in the marketplace and can’t get out of his mind. While attempting to discover her identity through the drunken poet, Mancino, who seemed to know her, Behaim finds another reason to stay in Milan. He tries to collect an old debt but is warned that no one ever gets their money from Bernardo Boccetta. Behaim’s two pursuits occasionally lead him to interact with Leonardo’s friends.

The book is short and a quick read. Perutz’s sprinkling of historical detail, humor and philosophical debates throughout the main plot is enjoyable. This one wears its exploration of fate and identity lightly. The opening chapter does, though, set out an idea that is fulfilled by the end of the book – something found in the other Perutzs that I read. Mancino’s identity is unknown by all the characters and the author has an answer though I would not have guessed if it hadn’t been explicitly stated. Behaim occasionally imputes his actions to his guardian angel but it can’t be anything other than his own personality. Of course, it is certain that Leonardo will find his model but getting there is the interesting part. show less

I was not enchanted or enthralled with this book. The basic story line follows Joachim Behaim, a German merchant, who travels to Milan to conduct business and collect a debt from a notorious money-lender, Bocetta. While there he becomes enamoured of a fetching young woman named Niccola -- until he is torn by the revelation that she is Bocetta's daughter. Meanwhile, Leonardo da Vinci continues to stare at his unfinished mural of The Last Supper while he is searching the streets and taverns for a model for Judas Iscariot, the disciple who loved and betrayed Jesus. Finally, I found Perutz's characters to be under-developed, and his allegory unconvincing.

Molto bello

J’étais contente de retrouver enfin Leo Perutz, que j’avais découvert par la lecture du Cavalier suédois il y a déjà 4 ans, et lui-même découvert grâce aux étagères virtuelles que je hante ici. Mais autant j’avais aimé le Cavalier suédois, autant je suis ici plutôt dubitative.
L’idée est intéressante de ce Léonard de Vinci qui procrastine et n’arrive pas à finir une commande de la Cène. C’est seulement qu’il cherche le Judas parfait, celui dont les traits incarnent à la perfection ce personnage, qui n’est pas un simple délateur, qui trahit non par appât du gain mais parce qu’il aime trop son Messie.
Intéressant l’idée de la peinture et du modèle parfait, intéressante l’analyse du comportement show more de Judas. Mais tout cela est trop vite esquissé, trop rapidement noyé dans une histoire d’amour sans grand intérêt dont je retiens peu.
Et c’est finalement cela qu’il me reste de ma lecture : bien peu, pas grand-chose. La sensation que ce livre aurait pu être passionnant, qu’il fut juste, parce qu’il est bien écrit et se lit sans déplaisir, un passe-temps qui laissera peu de trace dans ma mémoire de lectrice. show less

Milán, a finales de los siglos XV y XVI. Leonardo da Vinci finalmente quiere su cuadro La última cena en el refectorio del monasterio de Santa María delle Grazie y finalmente lo encuentra en el comerciante bohemio Joachim Behaim, quien, como Judas, es capaz de cometer traición por orgullo.

Milán, 1498. Leonardo da Vinci está terminando su Última Cena para Santa Maria delle Grazie, un fresco en el que lleva tres años trabajando. Pero topa con un último escollo: el maestro no encuentra un modelo en el que inspirarse para el rostro de Judas. Hasta que se cruza en us camino Joachim Behaim, un honesto comerciante alemán que llega a Milán para cobrar una deuda de un usurero y se enamora de una joven, que resulta ser la hija del deudor. Leonardo se inspirará en él para pintar al discípulo que traicionó a Jesús y al apropiarse el pintor de su rostro la vida de Joachim cambiará para siempre.... Este libro póstumo de Perutz es el canto del cisne del genial escritor: una bellísima inscursión en la novela histórica y show more una honda reflexión sobre el azar que gobierna nuestras vidas, sobre el amor y la traición. show less