Capture of Christ

The representation is the second episode of a relief Passion cycle that once adorned the interior of the main altar in St. Mary's Church in Wkryujście. In a manner typical of the Master of this work, the composition, limited to the necessary minimum of narration, has been placed in a relatively shallow and tightly framed space. Due to the above, the foreground figures of the arrested Jesus and Peter, dealing a blow to Malchus, have been brought closer to focus the viewer's attention on them and bring out the scene's emotional content. The close-up creates an effect of almost 'direct' contact with the depicted characters to enhance the intensity of the experience further. The viewer becomes a witness and participant in the events of the Passion. Passion paintings, which were extremely popular in the art of the late Middle Ages, satisfied the desire for spiritual participation, which was very important for the piety of those times. Contemplation of the martyr's way of Jesus evoked compassion and emotion, encouraging humble repentance and imitation of Christ in the spirit of the 15th-century idea of imitatio Christii. The narrative scene illustrates the event of the Apprehension described in the gospels. Jesus humbly places himself in the hands of the soldiers who have arrived during the night. His calm, composed posture turned towards the viewer and his hands, tied with a rope and crossed, lowered in a gesture of submission, show innocence, generosity and trustful readiness to fulfil God's will. Peter, awakened from his night's sleep and about to deny Jesus three times, now attacks Malchus, the high priest's servant, and cuts off his ear in a gesture of defence. Judas, having committed treason, flees holding in his hand a purse with thirty pieces of silver received for handing over the Master with whom he had sat down at the last supper before the night fell.

Kinga Krasnodębska