Frankfurt Dominican Altarpiece: Christ’s Arrest

Hans Holbein the Elder painted Christ's Arrest for the Frankfurt Dominican Altarpiece around 1501. The nocturnal capture in Gethsemane, with Judas's betrayal kiss and Peter's violent resistance, was one of the most dramatically charged scenes. Holbein's night scene demonstrates his sophisticated handling of artificial light sources. The tempera medium required careful preparation on a gessoed panel and a disciplined layering technique that produced precise, durable surfaces suited to the intricate detail expected of devotional painting.

Oil on panel with dramatic nocturnal lighting from torches and lanterns. The complex figure interactions of the arrest scene are orchestrated with Holbein's mature command of narrative composition.