Grey Passion: Arrest of Jesus

This Arrest of Jesus from Holbein the Elder's Grey Passion depicts the dramatic moment in the Garden of Gethsemane when Judas identifies Christ with a kiss and the soldiers seize him. The nocturnal betrayal scene was one of the most theatrically challenging subjects in the Passion cycle. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique. Such devotional panels served both liturgical contexts in churches and chapels and private devotional use in the homes of wealthy families who maintained personal altars and oratories.

The grisaille technique creates an effective nocturnal atmosphere, with the grey tonality suggesting the darkness of the garden and the dramatic torchlight that illuminates the arrest scene.