"The Arrest of Christ (Kiss of Judas) "

The Betrayal by Judas mentioned here occurs shortly after the Last Supper and involves him identifying Christ though an embrace (it is from this that the phrase of a Judas Kiss was born). Those seeking Jesus then arrest him and take Christ away for punishment. The facial expression of Judas is of a man who knows precisely what he is doing and gets a feeling of satisfaction for turning in his friend. It was the chief priests and elders who pursued Jesus, whilst armed with swords and clubs. Their intentions were clear, as was the likely result for their new prisoner. On other occasions they have been described as the police force of the Sanhedrin.

The two key figures are pictured centrally within this painting. Christ's halo helps us to identify him, whilst Judas is wearing a cloak as he embraces his friend. A struggle appears to be about to occur as other figures in the scene start to jostle and wrestle with each other. Giotto includes a large number of people within the fresco, though only those in the foreground are given any real detail. Long handled torches are lifted into the air as soldiers continue their search for Christ. Others protest about the arrest and this causes quite a commotion to ensue after Judas's act of betrayal after indicating Jesus's identity to the army who surround them. The sky above is darkened, suggesting that they have been searching for some time to find him, underlining his importance.