The Taking of Christ, 1602 is an oil on canvas, 133.5 x 169.5 cm.
Focal area: When I first look at this painting my eye is drawn to the shining armor of the soldier which then immediately drifts along the soldiers armor clad arm to the faces of Jesus and Judas. Judas has just case to Jesus giving the signal for the soldiers to rush in to capture Jesus, their faces are framed by the background of the blood red linens and the embracing arms of Judas and the lead soldier. Furthermore the background of the picture is dark contrasted by the milky features of Jesus illuminated by the pale moonlight.
Line and shape: once again the soldiers arm and Judas is embrace draw our attention to Jesus as the diagonal lines indicate that the crowd is rushing in to capture a capitulating Jesus who is almost being pushed over as he is being pushed into St. John who appears to be raising his hands and yelling to the heavens for help.
Balance: the balance of the painting feels like there is movement to the left but there’s more weight on the right giving me a feeling that is slightly unbalanced. There is a feel that there is movement from right to left as Jesus and Judas are left of center and the soldiers are pushing across the scene. There are three figures left of center and four figures right of center.
Color: This is an extremely dark painting both in color and context. The intensity and richness of the colors are indicative of the intensity of the scene. The deep blood red linen behind Jesus’s head is a red herring of his fate. The intense colors of the subject is juxtaposed with the darkest of Hughes in the background
Texture: The texture is amazing the cold shiny armor looks so real I can almost hear it clanging as it is in sharp contrast to the soft luscious flowing robes around Jesus and St. John the evangelist. And everything is draped in the cold unforgiving black of the night.
Unity: The crowd of people illuminated out of the darkness by the pale moonlight and the three-quarter framing of the figures give the illusion that I am right in the action. This is a close composition my eyes are continually redirected back to the focal area intensifying the resolution and the illusion of three dimensions.
Repetition: Nothing is repeated in this painting.
Facial expressions: You can see the anguish and St. John’s face as he pleased to God for help, Jesus looking down and away with his hands folded appears saddened and forlorn and submissive as it appears he has accepted his fate. Judas appears unsure of what he has done as his embrace appears to almost want to protect Jesus it also seems as if he may want to say something but Jesus will not look him in the eye. In the background, the self-portrait of Caravaggio or the man with the lantern appears indifferent to the outcome but interested to know the fate.
The artist has communicated the emotional content of this moment extraordinarily well. He took risks with the content and the darkness of the canvas in the subject matter but was wildly successful in this brilliant execution of a historic secular event.
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