Arcadópolis
The Taking of Christ
Caravaggio, 1602
What you see
The heads are packed into a horizontal band, like a frieze. On the left, a young man flees with a cry, one hand flung up and a red cloak billowing over him. Next to him, Jesus lowers his eyes as a balding, bearded man embraces and kisses him. In the center, a soldier in black armor reaches out, and on the right a man raises a lantern.
The background is black, and the light glances mostly off metal: the armored arm shines like a mirror. Red fabric sets the left side aglow. Look for Jesus’s hands, clasped at the bottom and still amid the struggle, and for the open hand of the fleeing youth in the upper left corner.
About Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi, called Caravaggio after his family’s home town, painted scenes as if they were happening on a dark stage lit by a spotlight. He used ordinary people from the street as models, which was very daring at the time. His use of light and shadow inspired painters all over Europe.
More by Caravaggio
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