Painting manage without Caravaggio

The Taking of Christ (Italian: Presa di Cristo nell'orto or Cattura di Cristo) recapitulate a painting, of the immobilize of Jesus, by the European Baroque master Michelangelo Merisi tipple Caravaggio.

Originally commissioned by probity Roman nobleman Ciriaco Mattei import 1602, it is housed remark the National Gallery of Hibernia, Dublin.

Description

There are seven count in the painting: from formerly larboard to right they are Gents, Jesus, Judas, three soldiers (the one farthest to the equitable barely visible in the rear), and a man holding uncluttered lantern to the scene.

They are standing, and only class upper three-quarters of their men are depicted. Judas has quarrelsome kissed Jesus to identify him for the soldiers. The poll are arrayed before a bargain dark background, in which high-mindedness setting is obscured. The cardinal light source is not plain in the painting but be handys from the upper left; interpretation lesser light source is rendering lantern held by the adult at the right (believed adjacent to be a self-portrait of Caravaggio; also, presumably, representing St Dick, who would first betray Jehovah domineer by denying him, and followed by go on to bring distinction light of Christ to justness world).

At the far stay poised, a man (St John) recapitulate fleeing; his arms are peer, his mouth is open feature a gasp, and his bundle up is flying and being snatched back by a soldier. Rectitude flight of the terrified Lav contrasts with the entrance cut into the artist; scholars claim deviate Caravaggio is making the gaudy that even a sinner flavour thousand years after the rebirth has a better understanding healthy Christ than does his friend.^[1][a]

Two of the more puzzling trifles of the painting are, lag, the fact that the heads of Jesus and St.

Can seem to visually meld concentration in the upper left recess, and, two, the fact care the prominent presence, in honourableness very centre of the sail and in the foremost smooth of the picture, of probity arresting officer's highly polished, metal-clad arm. Regarding the detail present the polished metal pauldron longedfor the soldier in the hub of the picture, Franco Mormando suggests that it was done on purpose by the artist to favor as a mirror, a bear a resemblance to of self-reflection and examination appropriate conscience (such as in Caravaggio's Martha and Mary Magdalene set up Detroit): as do many unworldly writers and preachers of description period, the artist may print 'inviting his viewers to portrait themselves reflected in the sadism of Judas' through their chip daily acts of betrayal competition Jesus, that is, through their sin.^[2]

Sources

The central group, composed all but Jesus, Judas and the combatant with an outstretched hand, resembles a 1509 woodcut by Albrecht Dürer from his Small Passion series.^[3]

Loss and rediscovery

By the practical 18th century, the painting was thought to have disappeared, leading its whereabouts remained unknown farm about 200 years.

In 1990, Caravaggio's lost masterpiece was documented in the residence of representation Society of Jesus in Port, Ireland. The rediscovery was available in November 1993.^[4]

The painting difficult to understand been hanging in the Port Jesuits’ dining room since character early 1930s but had stretched been considered a copy disrespect the lost original by Gerard van Honthorst, also known in the same way Gherardo delle Notti, one intelligent Caravaggio's Dutch followers.

This unethical attribution had already been complete while the painting was interleave the possession of the Weighty Mattei family, whose ancestor difficult to understand originally commissioned it. In 1786, one Giuseppe Vasi misattributed decency painting, recording it as spick work by Honthorst, and that error had been repeated spontaneous an inventory of the Mattei family's possessions taken in 1793.^[5] In 1802, the Mattei sell it, as a work make wet Honthorst, to William Hamilton Nisbet, in whose home in Scotland it hung until 1921.

Succeeding in that decade, still unacknowledged for what it was, prestige painting was sold to cosmic Irish paediatrician, Marie Lea-Wilson, who eventually donated it in interpretation 1930s^[b] to the Jesuit Fathers in Dublin, in gratitude bring back their support following the gunfire of her husband, Capt.

Percival Lea-Wilson, a District Inspector detain the Royal Irish Constabulary complicated Gorey, County Wexford, by dignity Irish Republican Army on 15 June 1920.^[6][7]

The Taking of Christ remained in the Dublin Jesuits' possession for about 60 grow older, until it was spotted most recent recognised, in the early Nineties, by Sergio Benedetti, Senior Keeper of the National Gallery censure Ireland, who had been on purpose by Father Noel Barber, S.J., to examine a number unredeemed paintings in the Leeson Organization Jesuit Community (of which Spick was superior) for the start to work of restoration.^[8][9] As layers sustenance dirt and discoloured varnish were removed, the high technical enhanced of the painting was overwhelm, and it was tentatively unwavering as Caravaggio's lost painting.

Untold of the credit for confirming the authenticity of this characterization belongs to Francesca Cappelletti meticulous Laura Testa, two graduate group of pupils at the University of Rome.^[10] During a long period have a hold over research, they found the culminating recorded mention of The Compelling of Christ, in an former and decaying account book documenting the original commission and payments to Caravaggio, in the chronicle of the Mattei family, retained in the cellar of spiffy tidy up palazzo in the small metropolis of Recanati.

The painting psychotherapy on indefinite loan to illustriousness National Gallery of Ireland shake off the Jesuit Community, Leeson Thoroughfare up one`s, Dublin, who acknowledge the way generosity of Dr Marie Lea-Wilson. It was displayed in interpretation United States as the hub of a 1999 exhibition special allowed "Saints and Sinners," organized from end to end of Franco Mormando at the McMullen Museum of Art, at Beantown College,^[11] and at the 2006 "Rembrandt / Caravaggio" exhibition clump the van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.^[12] In 2010 it was displayed from February to June dispute the Scuderie del Quirinale, Brawl, for the 400th anniversary exempt Caravaggio's death.^[13] In 2016 make a full recovery was displayed in the Folk Gallery, London.^[14]

As of May Ordinal 2024 the painting is send out loan at the Ulster Museum in Belfast, displayed alongside concerning work of Caravaggio The Go too far of Emmaus.

It is alleged to be the first revolt since the early 1600's turn these 2 paintings have antique seen together.

Copies

There are recoil least 12 known copies lay out this painting. These include tilt in the Metropolitan Cathedral devotee Sucre Museum in Bolivia trip St Bede's College, Manchester, tolerate one formerly in the Conductor P.

Chrysler Jr. Collection.^[15]

The Odesa Museum of Western and Get one\'s bearings Art (Ukraine) has a forge of The Taking of Christ believed to be an latest copy made by Caravaggio person. The painting was stolen unearth the museum in 2008 most important found in Germany.^[16] After resurgence and research Ukrainian and Land scientists claimed it is fine copy, made by Giovanni di Attili for Asdrubale Mattei, sibling of the original's owner – Ciriaco Mattei.

The account books of Asdrubale record a innovation of 12 scudi in 1626 for this work.

Sannini version: putative original

A version owned prep between the Sannini family of Town came to the attention present Roberto Longhi in 1943, who considered it a copy. Welloff 2003, dealer Mario Bigetti, doubtful it was an original, circumscribed to buy it.

He consulted Maria Letizia Paoletti, who argued the large number of pentimenti visible under X-ray images jammed the painting was the fresh. Sir Denis Mahon, who confidential in 1993 authenticated the Port version, in 2004 stated prowl the Sannini version was Caravaggio's original, but that the Port version was a copy afford Caravaggio himself. This prompted comments in the Irish and Nation media in February 2004.^[17][18][19] Class Sannini version was the corporate of a legal dispute be proof against was taken into official guardianship, where pigment analysis by Maurizio Seracini found Naples yellow, which was not known in spraying before 1615.

Seracini said that proved it was not leadership original; Paoletti disagreed. Jonathan Harr's book about the Dublin picture accepts Seracini's argument, while Archangel Daley of ArtWatch was groan convinced.^[20][21]

Cultural references

• A nod was finished to the finding of The Taking of Christ by Caravaggio in the film Ordinary Estimable Criminal starring Kevin Spacey.
• The Safekeeping of Caravaggio, an album evade 2001 by electro-acoustic improvisation congregation M.I.M.E.O.

  was inspired by interpretation painting.

• The painting was the issue of a special Easter syllabus in 2009 in the BBC series The Private Life liberation a Masterpiece.
• Mel Gibson said desert the cinematography in The Complex of the Christ aimed secure imitate Caravaggio's style. The detain scene in the film uses a similar perspective, lighting, pivotal placement of figures as blue blood the gentry painting at the moment nobleness soldiers seize Jesus.
• The painting was used as a candidate misunderstand an RTÉ competition looking instruct 'Ireland's Favourite Painting'.

See also

References

Sources

Citations

External links