The Capture of Christ in the Garden
unknown Italian artist, The Capture of Christ in the Garden, 1275/1299, oil on wood, Gift of The Samuel H. Kress Foundation, public domain, 61.55
This work is not currently on view.
- Title
The Capture of Christ in the Garden
- Artist
- Date
1275/1299
- Period
Late Medieval (ca. 1250-ca. 1500)
- Medium
oil on wood
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
7 in x 6 1/4 in
- Collection Area
European Art
- Category
Paintings
- Object Type
painting
- Culture
Italian
- Credit Line
Gift of The Samuel H. Kress Foundation
- Accession Number
61.55
- Copyright
public domain
- Terms
The Capture of Christ in the Garden was possibly one of a series of panels depicting the life of Christ. Although there is disagreement as to the painting's authorship, several scholars have attributed it to Cimabue, the leading practitioner of the Byzantine style in thirteenth-century Florence.
While this painting features typical Byzantine conventions, the artist has introduced proto-Renaissance compositional devices. The lavish gold and red color scheme and the linear patterning of the draperies reflect Byzantine tradition. So, too, does the somewhat symbolic approach to the narrative, including a garden suggested by the tree on the right and the schematic wall on the left. More innovative is the variety of figures. The three-quarters back view of the dark-bearded figure on the right is particularly ambitious.
