The Arrest of Jesus
Historical Context
This Arrest of Jesus (also called the Betrayal or Kiss of Judas) by the Master of San Martino alla Palma depicts the dramatic moment in the Garden of Gethsemane when Judas identifies Christ with a kiss, leading to his seizure by soldiers. Painted around 1330, this panel likely formed part of a Passion narrative cycle. The subject was one of the most dramatically composed scenes in Gothic art, famously treated by Giotto in the Arena Chapel and subsequently adapted by his followers across Tuscany.
Technical Analysis
Executed in egg tempera on gold-ground panel, the composition follows the Giottesque model of massing figures around the central embrace of Judas and Christ. The master renders the scene with emphatic gestures and crowded soldiers, creating dramatic tension through the contrast between Christ's stillness and the surrounding agitation.
