Betrayal

The arrest of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane follows chronologically the Agony I the Garden. It is described in all four gospels. The synoptic accounts differ in one respect from John, and this occasionally leads to a certain inconsistency in the subject's portrayal. The first three gospels tell how Judas came up to Christ and kissed him, a sign to the soldiers following that this was the man they were to arrest, and how they then seized him. John makes no mention of the kiss but, on the contrary, describes how Christ identified himself to the soldiers with the words 'I am he', whereupon they 'drew back and fell to the ground'. Early Renaissance artists may depict both the kiss and the fallen soldiers in the same scene. The more usual and consistent formula shows Judas in the act of bestowing the kiss, surrounded by a throng of soldiers and perhaps Jewish elders. The soldiers are armed with spears and halberds and hold aloft torches and lanterns. Their leader is throwing a rope about Christ. Judas may be somewhat shorter in stature than the Savior, a convention probably deriving from the account given by the 14th cent. mystic, Bridget of Sweden in her Revelations. The incident of the cutting off of the servant's ear is rarely omitted. It is mentioned in all four gospels though only John names the participants: 'Thereupon Simon Peter drew the sword he was wearing and struck at the High Priest's servant, cutting off his right ear.' (The servant's name was Malchus.) This spontaneous outburst is variously depicted. In early Renaissance paintings both stand facing each other while Peter severs the ear with an almost formal gesture. In later examples they are depicted realistically struggling together on the ground. The subsequent healing of Malchus' ear by Christ is also sometimes shown. The ear and knife are represented separately among the Instruments of the Passion. The flight of the disciples may be represented in the same scene: 'Then the disciples all deserted him and ran away. Among those following was a young man with nothing on but a linen cloth. They tried to seize him; but he slipped out of the linen cloth and ran away naked.' (Mark 14:51–2). The young man is usually identified with Mark the Evangelist. Artists usually depict him wearing an undergarment.