Betrayal of Jesus

Duccio
Duccio, The Betrayal of Christ, 1308-1311

A vibrant disarray of chaos and agitation, Duccio’s The Betrayal of Christ leaves for few moments of relaxation. Above, gold permeates the sky accompanied by slender trees, cryptically sprouting out of slanted layering of rock. Below, a beautiful convulsion of robes sway without heed to their wearers’ discomposure. When focusing on these aspects alone, perhaps the painting’s airless claustrophobia would diminish.

Foul expressions and crude actions within the painting create a horizontal line across the middle. Even Jesus is thrown off his usual Jesus-y serenity, looking especially uncomfortable as Judas trespasses his halo’s radius. Peter slices off the ear of Malchus with a knife in his hand, a scowl across his face. Peter’s halo is not present in this painting, as his holiness is compromised by his actions.

The Betrayal of Christ is one piece of forty-three that compose Duccio’s Maestà, a highly decorated altarpiece. The Maestà was dismantled later, causing panels to scatter throughout the world. The divergence of the Maestà comes as a blessing and a setback. Panels are readily available to view in various museums, but will likely never converge back into its original state.
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Betrayal of Christ

Giotto

Giotto, The Betrayal of Christ, c. 1306

This painting depicts the kiss of Judas, during Jesus's arrest in the new testament. It was finished in 1306. It currently resides in the Arena chapel in Padua, Italy. Jesus is, as usual, marked with Giottos signature halo, as is Peter. 

The chaos of the scene below contrasts with the calmness of the dark blue sky above. The faces of the subjects are drawn in painstaking detail, which allows the observer to feel what the subjects do. The chaos and emotional turmoil is reflected on the faces of Judas and the other disciples, while Jesus maintains a composure that is both serene and angry as if to say, "Don't lie to me Judas, I know it was you." While the rest of the scene is a violent tumult, Jesus serves as a calm center, focusing the observer on him. 

I really like this painting, not just because of the numerous shades of blue, but because of the way Giotto sets the scene. he doesn't just paint it with colors and details, he paints with emotions. The observer doesn't just see chaos, they feel it. Within the chaos, the contrast of the faces of Jesus and Judas give off sadness, too. And its this skill for emotion that made Giotto such an influential painter.

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The Betrayal of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane

1308
Duccio, The Betrayal of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, 1308




Jesus answered and said, “You will become the thirteenth, and you will be cursed by
the other generations—and you will come to rule over them. In the last days they will
curse your ascent to the holy [generation]." - The Gospel of Judas

The betrayal of Jesus by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane may be the most tragic of all the stories concerning the life of Christ. For the payment of 30 pieces of silver, Judas handed his master and friend to the Pharisees. While Jesus prayed in the garden, Judas approached him and identified him with a kiss. Beset with grief over his actions, Judas later hung himself. This betrayal has been immortalized in our language, the name "Judas" having become synonymous with "traitor," and a "Judas kiss" the term for a symbol of friendship used to do harm to another.

But how is his condemnation deserved? How can Judas be condemned as a traitor if his actions fulfilled ancient prophecies of the Jewish faith? A Gnostic text discovered in the 1970s and likely written in 2 CE, known as the Gospel of Judas, suggests that Judas acted on Jesus' instruction. Though the gospel is tattered and missing many lines of text, it grants incredible insight into a new interpretation of the events surrounding the betrayal.

The work depicts him as the most trusted of all of the disciples, as he is the only one entrusted with carrying out the betrayal. The text itself consists largely of conversations between Jesus and Judas, the latter sharing his visions with the former. These visions include one of a great mansion whose doors cannot be opened and another in which he is stoned to death by his fellow disciples. In their final discussion, Jesus explains his purpose on earth to Judas, and the role that he is to play in it. No longer a traitor to Christ, he is the catalyst to the salvation of the human race, and in return for his role in the completion of prophecy becomes the first of the "holy generation." Jesus warns his disciple that mortal men shall rail against him for his actions, but that he will rule over them in Heaven. 

Despite the negative reception that the gospel has received from religious figures, it has recently gained popularity (though an admittedly small amount) among Gnostic sects and non-denominational Christians who have long struggled with the questions surrounding Judas Iscariot's life and legacy. 

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