How Is Caravaggio Portrayed In The Taking Of Christ

The Taking of Christ by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was painted in 1602 in oil on canvas and it is currently in the National Gallery of Ireland. The painting depicts the story of the betrayal of Christ by Judas from the Christian Bible, where Judas was supposed to identify Christ with a kiss. The painting consists of what seems to be seven figures; on the left is John, who is reacting to the taking of Jesus with his hands up, or perhaps he is calling someone to tell them that Jesus is being taken away. This is portrayed with a lot of drama, as if the story were a play. As we move to the right, we see Caravaggio’s characteristic of light and dark which is focused on the two main figures: Jesus on the left and Judas to the right of him.

This is a different variation of the story compared to Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ. Cesari’s painting is composed of a lot more figures compared to Caravaggio’s, and it seems to portray the scene where Jesus is about to be taken away by the army which means Judas must have already kissed him. This is the same scene that is depicted by Caravaggio, although in Cesari’s depiction Judas is not seen as close to Jesus and as empathetic compared to Caravaggio’s version. Nonetheless, Cesari’s variation is a lot different in many other ways, as it has a lot more figures, the scene seems to be taking place in the garden, whereas as Caravaggio’s doesn’t. Cesari also includes the scene where St. Peter cuts off the ear of one of the soldiers, which is not included in Caravaggio’s version. Cesari’s paintings also include a lot more detail, less diagonals, different lighting, and different uniforms and clothing of the army and of Jesus. There does seem to be a boy that has been stripped of his clothes, which may suggest that this is St. John, but this scene is not depicted in the four Gospels. Caravaggio’s painting is lit by the lantern that one of the men is holding and it doesn’t necessarily show that the scene is taking place outside unless you already know the story, whereas Cesari’s version shows the scene as taking place outside and the scene is lit by the moon. Caravaggio’s version also shows only half of the bodies of all portrayed in the painting, whereas Cesari’s shows full body figures. In many ways and as described by other scholars above, Caravaggio’s painting of The Taking of Christ is unique compared to other variations of the same