La Cattura Di Giudas Essay

1. The title of the work is La Cattura di Cristo (bacio di Giuda) aka Kiss of Judas, The dimensions of the work is 185 x 200 cm the work of art is located at Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel, in Padua, Italy. The date it was created is 1304-1306 and the art medium used is fresco Painting meaning that painting in which color pigments are mixed solely with water (no binding agent used) and then applied directly onto freshly laid lime-plaster surface.

2. There are 18 people in the foreground of the image and an uncountable number in the background. Jesus and Peter both have halos indicating their divine status, while Judas doesn’t. The people have a sort of bulky feel to them as well as very vibrant colored clothes. The contrast of the kiss against the side of the painting where peter is on the verge of violence, cutting off the ear of Malthus . The painting includes torches and spears.
The darker background really contrast with the more vibrant colors of the clothes depicted. The sky is black fading into blue. One of the first things that stands out to me is the vibrant colors of the robes and the fact that Judas’s yellow robe almost completely obscures Jesus from the neck down. The colors used on the clothes also stand out to me because of what the certain colors are associated with. Such as yellow being a color associated with cowardice; which is the color of Judas’s robe, while Peters robe is blue and red, red is also the color of Jesus’s robe so maybe indicating the closeness of the relationship between Peter and Jesus. It appears as if Jesus and Peter’s robes are the inverse of each other, Jesus appears to have a red base robe with a blue overcoat, while Peter’s robe is blue with a red overcoat.

3. The artist uses color to convey a more realistic depiction of the characters and their surroundings, by using warm and cool colors together the artist authentically draws the viewer into the tone of the moment. The darker color of the sky seems to invoke foreboding, almost indicating the mood of Jesus and how the kiss is more indicative of a much deeper betrayal than just identifying Jesus as the son of Christ. The reddish hue used on Jesus face adds to the feelings of betrayal also evoked by the darkening hue of the sky. Color Value is used to add tone through the distinct splashes of fire, violence and confusion in the scene and to the viewer it is not immediately clear at a first glance who's friend or foe.
Shape is used to highlight the contrast between calm and anarchy as well as invoking a more realistic scene. Through the use of shape the viewer can almost hear abruptness of the guard’s arrival on the scene and the chaos that ensues. Giotto also creates a sense of weight and life to the figures by making them bulkier and thus, it is easier to believe that they live in a world like our own instead of an ethereal one. The drapery of clothes that fold and are somewhat taunt around the curves of a body, not delicately draped on slight otherworldly body frames also add to the sense of realism created by the use of shape.
In a scene awash with conflict the viewer’s eye is drawn to Jesus and Judas in the center. Amid all the chaos and commotion, the use of space creates a point in the work that invokes a sense of intimacy. As Judas' cloak envelopes Jesus it seems to create a barrier between the two of them and the violence of the scene. By adding this point in the painting it creates a space that draws the eye and almost demands focus. It's a balance of intimacy against the chaos of the rest of the work, and it's one of the subtle examples of spatial boundaries created by Giotto. The emotional pain and betrayal amid all the physical chaos is an excellent use of space and demonstrates how the artist uses space to add to the work.

4. The meaning of this particular piece of art is found in the details. By maximizing the facial expressions, gestures and positions of the figures Judas’s raised arm, Paul’s assault of Matthias; Giotto manages to convey the feelings of betrayal and how emotional of a moment is being depicted. In order to capture the chaos and emotions Giotto places Jesus and Judas in the center of the crowd, this placement balances the violence and confusion occurring on either side of the scene. Judas places his hand on Christ's shoulder, raising his yellow cloak and in the process creating a sense of intimacy between the two men, despite the crowd around them; the depth of the moment is accurately depicted by the sense of calm and almost ethereal detachment created by this one motion. Meanwhile, soldiers have burst into the scene while to the left Peter severs the ear of Matthias. Giotto acutely and masterfully uses every device available to him in order to emphasize the drama of the moment: the darker lighting; the raised weaponry and torches add to the sense of forbidding, as well accentuating just how dastardly a deed is being committed.

5.
Giotto di Bondone, was born 1266–67/1276, near Florence Italy and died Jan. 8, 1337, in Florence at the age of 70. Before his death, the city of Florence appointed him head Florentine architect and chief of public works. He is believed to have been a pupil of the Florentine painter Cimabue and to have decorated five different chapels. He became so widely known that the poet Dante made mention of him. However, because little of his life and few of his works are able to be confirmed his paintings remain under scrutiny and the source of plenty of speculation.
He is often considered the most important Italian painter of the 14th century because his style is said to be the foundation for the renaissance. He is also important to the art world because he was one of the first artists to incorporate tension and more realistic figures, this style differed from the other artists of the time in that most others works consisted of ethereal images that didn’t seem grounded in reality. He is considered the father of European painting and the first of the great Italian
masters.