Description
The Arrest of Christ, also known as the Kiss of Judas, is one of the most intense scenes in the Scrovegni Chapel and one of the clearest demonstrations of Giotto's narrative power. The action centers on the instant when Judas identifies Jesus with a kiss while soldiers, disciples and servants crowd around them.
Amid the surrounding turmoil, Christ and Judas confront one another at the center of the composition at extremely close range. The emotional core lies in this face-to-face encounter. Judas advances and wraps Christ within the broad curve of his yellow cloak, which dominates the central area. Jesus remains still and composed, his face fully visible. Yet the composition remains legible because every movement ultimately converges on the central encounter between Christ and Judas.
