Caravaggio’s Taking of the Christ

Recently, I acquired a writing job for Wandercast, an audio travel guide website. I’ve been writing articles for points of interest and have been thoroughly enjoying it. Although it won’t be fully accessible to the public until early next year, the founders of the site have given me permission an article on my site. Article for me. Publicity for Wandercast. Great read for you. It’s a win-win situation for everyone. Enjoy.

Considered to be the first true artist of the Baroque style, Caravaggio was regarded as an enigmatic and rebellious character in his day. With a reputation of going to socials and challenging people to duels, a lifestyle that resulted in his premature death, it’s hard to imagine Caravaggio as someone who would create religious paintings. Nevertheless, during his life, huge churches and cathedrals were being built, and they required artisans to come and paint for them. Never one to turn down opportunities to find patronage, Caravaggio naturalistic approach to art was highly sought after by these churches, and he created a flurry of art while commissioned by the church; one of these being The Taking of Christ.

The Taking of Christ reflects on Judas’ betrayal of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane for a sum of thirty pieces of silver. Judas’ kiss was the signal for the Roman guards to come, and it is that kiss that Caravaggio emphasizes on in the painting. The composition also focuses on the contrast between the black, shining armor of the soldiers to the humble submission that Christ offers to his captors. Using strong lighting and crowded composition, Caravaggio captures the dramatic and physical impact of the moment.

Like many religious painting of this time period, the Church wished to use art as a way to convey to people on how to behave in a Christ-like manner. In The Taking of Christ, the aim of the painting is to encourage its viewers to resort to spiritual combat, rather than physical, and to value forgiveness more then vengeance. One legend that surrounds the painting is that the soldier carrying the lantern is believed to be a self-portrait of Caravaggio himself.

For well over 200 years, The Taking of Christ was considered to be a lost painting with no traces of its whereabouts. A turn for the better came in 1990, when the long-lost masterpiece was rediscovered in the home of the Jesuits in Dublin, Ireland, where it had been hanging over the dining room since the early 1930′s. However, the Jesuits simply believed that is was a copy of the original, and not painted by Caravaggio himself. Now the painting is proudly displayed at the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin. It also enjoyed a brief stint at the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam for the Rembrandt – Caravaggio Exhibition in 2006. A NY Times best-selling book, The Lost Painting: The Caravaggio Trail was written on account of The Taking of Christ‘s disappearance and recent reemergence.