The Betrayal of Christ (The Kiss of Judas)
Artist: Giotto
1304-06
Painting
The fresco cycle by Giotto in the Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padua is one of the most important masterpieces of Western art. While the upper register depicts the story of Joachim and Anna, the parents of the Virgin Mary, the lower two registers of the chapel narrate the life and death of Christ. Giotto’s Betrayal of Christ is on the south wall. What perhaps distinguishes The Betrayal of Christ is Giotto’s singular emphasis upon the confrontation between Christ and Judas. Directly to the left of the two protagonists, Giotto places the figures of Peter and the soldier Malchus. According to scripture, Peter cut off Malchus’s ear in an uncharacteristic moment of rage. Christ, having miraculously healed the soldier, warned that those who live by the sword will ultimately perish by it. However, this scene assumes a secondary role in relation to the meeting between Christ and his traitor.
The Blasphemer
Artist: William Blake
c. 1800
Painting
This watercolor painting is linked to the Old Testament book of Leviticus, chapter 24 verse 23:
And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses.
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