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The Taking Of ChristThe Taking of Christ was painted in 1602 by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1573-1510). . By the late eighteenth century, the painting seemed to have disappeared, and its whereabouts remained unknown for about two hundred years. In 1990 Caravaggios lost masterpiece was recognized in the residence of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in Dublin, Ireland. The exciting rediscovery was published in 1993. The painting had been hanging in the Jesuits dining room since the early 1930s, but had long been considered a copy of the lost original by Gerard van Honthorst, also known as Gerard of the Nights, one of Caravaggios Dutch followers. This erroneous attribution had been made while the painting was still in the possession of the Mattei family in Rome, whose ancestors had originally commissioned it. The family sold it, as a work by Honthorst, in 1802 to William Hamilton Nisbet, in whose home in Scotland it hung until 1921. Later that decade the painting was sold to an Irish paediatrician who eventually donated it to the Jesuit Brothers in Dublin in gratitude for their support following the death of her husband. The Taking of Christ remained in their possession for about sixty years, until the decision was made in the early 1990s to have it cleaned and restored. As layers of dirt and discoloured varnish were removed, the supreme technical quality of the painting was revealed, and it was identified as Caravaggios lost painting. It is now on long-term loan to the National Gallery of Ireland =Description= There are seven figures from left to right: a man, Jesus, Judas, two soldiers, a man and a solider. They are standing and only about three-quarters of each of their bodies are visible. They are in front of a very dark black background. The setting is disguised in the blackness. The main source of light is not evident in the painting but shines in from the top left-hand side. There is a lantern being held by the man on the right of the painting. On the left side of the painting there is a man fleeing; his arms are raised and his mouth a gasp. His cloak is flying in the air and being pulled by a solider. =Interpretation= The image of Christ in the painting is a very powerful image. His face conveys several emotions. In his eyes their is disbelief and also reflected in his furrowing brow. His eyes are hidden in shadow perhaps to symbolise blindness since he did not anticipate what Judas was doing or perhaps that he did not want to see what Judas was doing. What we can see in his eyes through the shadow is that they are focused on the ground; they are heavy; they are closing perhaps as a consequence of sadness and helplessness. His head is turned as though he has pulled away from the kiss. Christs hands are held in front of him down low, his fingers are entwined as if he is in prayer. His arms are held out a little from his body so as to cast off Judas arm which is across Christs chest. The symbolic value of his entwined fingers is a sense of unity and strength. They are one and can not be separated, like the Holy Trinity. Also they create images or prayer and an exclamation of faith displaying how Christ never forsook his God. Judas is the central character in the picture. He is placed just off centre and is leaning in towards Christ. His arm is reaching across Christs body and drawing him close. Judas lips are heavily hidden in the shadows but close inspection reveals that there is not contact between Judas lips and Christs cheek. Is this because Judas has withdrawn or has Christ has recoiled by turning his face away. Caravaggio hides Judas lips in shadow not because they are less important but because they are so important it is the only part of his face hidden this generates intrigue. Also the lips are hidden for emblematic effect insofar as Judas actions hitherto were very cloak and dagger and the concluding moment of this trail of deceit was to be no different. Judas eyes are also very communicative. In his eyes a there is vacant stare; he cant look a Christ. His eyes stare empty at the sky. This is very significant. We know that Judas felt shame for what he had done because he committed suicide soon after the event but Caravaggio explains though Judas eyes that he believes the shame was immediate. Judas hands are dirty a very symbolic effect of involvement in something dirty. Pontius Pilot symbolically cleaned his hands from responsibility for the death of Christ; Judas hands remain soiled from his responsibility for Christs death. The soldiers in the piece are dressed in heavy, dark armour. The dark armour is to represent the immorality of the soldiers. The dark colour of the armour creates satanic connotations and the weight illustrates the burden the soldiers will carry. One solider has his arm reaching out grasping the throat of Christ; Perhaps this is to try and stop Christ from speaking. Christ was not silent in life but they want to make sure that he is silent on his death; Christs only weapon is his words. On the out-stretched arm of the solider the light catches his armour creating a blade of light. This blade is the juxtaposition of good and evil; it is the sword of God in the form of the Holy Spirit working though the solider so that Christ will die to save us from our sins. There is a man looking in on the scene, he is holding a lantern aloft and peering in. This is Caravaggios self-portrait. Did he place himself in the picture as a representation of humanity? The black background is symbolic of the unknown; no one in the painting knows what will happen except Caravaggio, which is why he has the lamp, he is lighting the scene for himself i.e. human kind. The lamp has no real effect as a light source in the painting but has the symbolic value of our position of retrospect. The dark background also serves as a mechanism to concentrate the viewers attention on the foreground. It also allows Caravaggio to use the light source to highlight the most important pieces of the painting. The light source also has a symbolic importance; It is a Divine light a representation of God. We can see St. John looking at this light perhaps calling for help from God. The Divine light is the only significant light source in the picture. Did Caravaggio choose to portray the seconds after the event rather than the event itself so he could demonstrate the direct consequences of the kiss? These consequences hold Judas directly responsible for the Roman soldiers discovering and consequently killing Christ.
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