The Taking of Christ by Caravaggio

The rediscovery of the painting “The Taking of Christ” created by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio overturned the art world in the twentieth century. This dramatic work illustrates the violence of the capture of Jesus in the Garden of Olives with unparalleled theatricality. The tenebrist master plunges the viewer into the heart of the action by creating a suffocating and dark closed-door scene that reveals the brutality of the original betrayal.

Seven figures crowd into an extremely tight space against an impenetrable black background[cite: 42]. Judas suddenly appears in the center and abruptly embraces Christ to place the fatal kiss on his cheek[cite: 42]. The Savior lowers his eyes with resigned sweetness, humbly joining his hands under his purple cloak[cite: 42]. Heavy Roman soldiers protected by shining black metal armor violently close their vice on the victim[cite: 42]. On the left, Saint John, wrapped in a red drape, flees with his mouth wide open in a howl of terror[cite: 42]. On the far right, a bearded man firmly holding a lantern illuminates the tumult, revealing a fascinating self-portrait of the painter[cite: 42].

The phenomenal virtuosity of the artist bursts forth in the coldness of the reflections of the armor, contrasting dramatically with the warmth of the faces. The narrative power of this oil painting and the masterful use of chiaroscuro make this composition an absolute model of Italian Baroque genius.