Figure 7.7 The Supper at Emmaus, 1601, by Caravaggio, oil on canvas, 141 × 196.2 cm, National Gallery of Art, London. By breaking down the traditional barrier between what is real and what is painted, Caravaggio transforms something that happened in the past into something happening now. We become involved and experience the shock and astonishment for ourselves.
The Taking of Christ
Another painting commissioned by the Mattei family, The Taking of Christ tells the story of Christ’s betrayal by Judas (Fig. 7.8). The powerful story of disloyalty is told in all four gospels and was a traditional subject for art.
The juxtaposition of the two faces is the focal point of this composition. The contrast draws the eye to Christ’s pale, sensitive face and the rough and sunburned face of Judas.
Juxtaposition: Placement of very different objects close together for a constrasting effect.
Figure 7.8 The Taking of Christ, 1602, by Caravaggio, oil on canvas, 134 × 170 cm, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. The painting was presumed lost until it was discovered in August 1990 in a Jesuit house on Leeson Street, Dublin.
CHAPTER 7 ART AND ARCHITECTURE IN 17TH-CENTURY ITALY
