0:00:00.529,0:00:02.619 In the turn of the 17th century 0:00:05.948,0:00:07.915 the counter-reformation was at its height 0:00:07.915,0:00:10.849 and the church was commissioning[br]hundreds of new artworks 0:00:11.015,0:00:13.509 to be used as powerful weapons[br]of propaganda 0:00:13.522,0:00:15.409 against the Protestant faith. 0:00:15.839,0:00:17.845 Religious art had lost its way 0:00:17.845,0:00:21.984 and artists were being asked to produce[br]emotionally engaging and intense works, 0:00:22.563,0:00:25.536 accessible and realistic enough[br]to inspire the masses. 0:00:26.362,0:00:29.804 Caravaggio who would rather[br]spend time in a tavern than a church 0:00:30.097,0:00:32.257 understood the masses more than most. 0:00:32.891,0:00:37.313 He had arrived in Rome in 1592,[br]young, broke and homeless, 0:00:37.951,0:00:40.831 having already been in trouble[br]with the authorities in Milan. 0:00:41.621,0:00:46.161 Rome was a city where nuns and cardinals[br]rub shoulders with gangs and prostitutes. 0:00:46.676,0:00:49.202 And the new arrival would fit right in. 0:00:50.599,0:00:53.449 It is impossible to separate [br]Caravaggio the criminal 0:00:53.449,0:00:56.267 from Caravaggio the painter [br]of sacred images. 0:00:56.465,0:00:59.045 One could simply not exist [br]without the other. 0:00:59.399,0:01:02.134 He inhabited a world [br]where honour was everything, 0:01:02.603,0:01:05.187 the slightest insult [br]needed to be revenged. 0:01:05.682,0:01:07.309 And the hair triggered Caravaggio 0:01:07.309,0:01:09.694 would be forever[br]on the lookout for trouble. 0:01:10.059,0:01:13.588 Caravaggio broke the rules of art[br]as well as his life. 0:01:13.989,0:01:16.474 He would look at the dark side[br]of the Christian story 0:01:16.525,0:01:19.584 and include its more sordid [br]and unpalatable side. 0:01:20.294,0:01:23.551 Caravaggio's art would represent [br]the world as it is, 0:01:23.748,0:01:25.445 and not how it should be. 0:01:26.080,0:01:28.030 Much to some of the clergy's horror, 0:01:28.055,0:01:30.865 he accentuated the poverty[br]and common humanity 0:01:30.877,0:01:32.621 of the Christ and his followers, 0:01:32.661,0:01:35.934 by using ordinary working people[br]as his models. 0:01:36.606,0:01:39.564 Some of them considered to be [br]the scum of the city: 0:01:40.094,0:01:43.711 street workers, prostitutes, [br]beggars and rent boys. 0:01:44.416,0:01:45.956 He would scandalise Rome 0:01:45.983,0:01:48.657 by portraying the Virgin Mary[br]with dirty feet, 0:01:49.014,0:01:52.155 Saint Peter as a terrified [br]and bewildered old man, 0:01:53.164,0:01:57.365 The church had asked for realism[br]and Caravaggio would give it to them. 0:02:00.444,0:02:02.861 The strange story of betrayal by a kiss 0:02:02.861,0:02:05.811 is a subject that has fascinated[br]Italians for centuries, 0:02:06.139,0:02:08.909 The subject had been painted [br]by hundreds of artists, 0:02:08.922,0:02:11.522 but never with such brutal honestity. 0:02:12.596,0:02:15.646 It is useful to compare[br]Caravaggio's version of the betrayal 0:02:15.686,0:02:18.676 with an earlier version[br]by an equally revolutionary, 0:02:18.678,0:02:21.078 but very different artist, Giotto. 0:02:21.943,0:02:25.143 He gives us a more complete[br]and chaotic picture of the events 0:02:25.157,0:02:27.422 that will lead to Jesus' crucifixion. 0:02:28.752,0:02:31.422 Caravaggio ignores [br]the peripheral characters 0:02:31.668,0:02:35.318 and pares it right back to the essentials,[br]the emotional core. 0:02:37.333,0:02:40.784 We are used to seeing the close-up[br]with the cinema and TV 0:02:40.794,0:02:44.731 but it was unusual in the 17th century[br]to have scenes cropped so tight. 0:02:46.236,0:02:49.326 Gioto's work is taking place [br]on a remote stage, 0:02:49.367,0:02:52.186 Caravaggio's just inches from your face. 0:02:52.447,0:02:54.978 Giotto has Christ being arrested[br]by an army. 0:02:55.176,0:02:58.110 Caravaggio's looks more[br]like a street brawl. 0:02:58.676,0:03:02.131 Both versions take place at night,[br]as the Gospels tell us 0:03:02.583,0:03:04.693 "after the evening meal and prayers". 0:03:05.020,0:03:07.050 Caravaggio's night-time however 0:03:07.082,0:03:09.737 is a world where violence[br]hides in shadows. 0:03:11.043,0:03:15.200 There is no background, no architecture[br]or gardens, just darkness. 0:03:16.269,0:03:19.199 Only the moonlight off screen[br]lights the scene 0:03:19.239,0:03:23.449 — from left to right, the preferred[br]direction of light Caravaggio used. 0:03:24.383,0:03:28.688 It is almost like a spotlight on Jesus[br]and Judas and suggests divine light. 0:03:29.390,0:03:31.997 Although the man at the far side [br]is holding a lantern, 0:03:32.026,0:03:34.575 it is in reality an ineffective source. 0:03:35.103,0:03:37.293 Then the light reflected in the armour 0:03:37.293,0:03:39.506 seems to becoming[br]from the viewer's direction. 0:03:40.437,0:03:44.667 In Giotto's version, it is obvious[br]we are witnessing a religious event. 0:03:45.012,0:03:47.652 In Caravaggio's version, he asks us: 0:03:47.707,0:03:49.015 "What would it be like 0:03:49.015,0:03:52.014 "if Jesus looked like an ordinary man[br]when he was arrested?" 0:03:52.245,0:03:53.665 "How would we know?" 0:03:53.999,0:03:59.197 Caravaggio emphasises Christ's humanity[br]rather than his divinity as the Lord. 0:04:00.293,0:04:02.158 Giotto has a huge crowd, 0:04:02.270,0:04:05.291 but there are just seven characters[br]in Caravaggio's version. 0:04:05.580,0:04:09.580 He limits the mob to four men[br]but a greater number is implied 0:04:09.629,0:04:11.641 by how crowded in they are. 0:04:11.711,0:04:13.521 If we lighten the picture, 0:04:13.531,0:04:17.411 we can make out traces of lances,[br]suggesting further soldiers. 0:04:20.392,0:04:23.006 The main characters[br]from left to right are: 0:04:23.061,0:04:26.331 John, Jesus, Judas, a soldier, 0:04:26.601,0:04:29.251 another soldier, a lamp bearer, 0:04:29.278,0:04:31.430 and behind him another soldier. 0:04:32.855,0:04:36.016 Both versions have him [br]being pulled back by his cloak, 0:04:36.025,0:04:39.035 referenced in the Bible [br]as an unnamed figure. 0:04:39.842,0:04:44.054 The identity of the fleeing figure[br]in both versions has been disputed 0:04:44.449,0:04:46.509 or mostly just ignored. 0:04:46.755,0:04:51.022 There is no definitive answer recorded[br]but I think Caravaggio and Giotto 0:04:51.402,0:04:53.821 intended it to be John the Evangelist. 0:04:54.214,0:04:58.392 John is the youngest disciple,[br]and so he is generally depicted beardless. 0:04:59.313,0:05:03.013 Caravaggio has him beardless [br]and wearing red and green 0:05:03.063,0:05:05.083 and, as we can see, these are colours 0:05:05.097,0:05:08.466 often, but not exclusively[br]associated with John. 0:05:09.083,0:05:11.223 In Caravaggio's pared back version, 0:05:11.341,0:05:14.342 I think John represents[br]all the fleeing apostles, 0:05:14.843,0:05:18.413 and as John was the most beloved,[br]he would be seen as a counterpoint 0:05:18.429,0:05:20.291 for Judas the betrayer. 0:05:20.789,0:05:24.424 What is interesting is how John and Jesus[br]have identical hair, 0:05:24.507,0:05:27.414 and seem to be merging[br]together as one being. 0:05:27.811,0:05:30.151 Christ will go away and be crucified 0:05:30.168,0:05:34.598 and John will escape and serve[br]as propagator and protector of the faith. 0:05:35.437,0:05:39.857 The image suggests that the church,[br]which will be represented by the apostles, 0:05:40.055,0:05:43.058 emanates directly from Christ himself. 0:05:43.727,0:05:46.463 John's cloak is like a halo over Christ. 0:05:47.054,0:05:50.783 The red could symbolise "martyrdom"[br]or the blood of Christ. 0:05:51.605,0:05:54.621 Giotto also uses the red symbolically. 0:05:56.225,0:05:59.715 One of the first things that strikes you[br]about Jesus in both images, 0:05:59.724,0:06:01.540 is his lack of emotion. 0:06:01.641,0:06:05.151 but, according to the Bible, Jesus knew[br]Judas would betray him, 0:06:05.863,0:06:08.443 and that — according[br]to Christian tradition, 0:06:08.465,0:06:10.550 would bring salvation to humanity. 0:06:10.840,0:06:12.810 So Jesus' sorrowful reaction 0:06:12.844,0:06:15.366 is one of resignation rather than shock. 0:06:15.558,0:06:19.118 I think in Caravaggio's version,[br]Christ's acceptance is there, 0:06:19.283,0:06:22.637 but we also see fear[br]of the imminent future. 0:06:23.842,0:06:28.511 In Caravggio's version, Judas is a much[br]more nuanced and human character. 0:06:28.814,0:06:30.854 than the villain that Giotto makes him. 0:06:31.446,0:06:34.450 His face is a powerful study [br]in contradicting emotions, 0:06:35.032,0:06:37.574 of love and jealousy, hate and pride. 0:06:37.867,0:06:40.770 Judas appears haunted by what is to come. 0:06:41.670,0:06:45.670 Having just betrayed Jesus, he seems[br]to immediately regret it 0:06:45.685,0:06:47.525 and grips onto him for dear life, 0:06:47.580,0:06:50.340 forcing the soldier to remove his hands. 0:06:50.740,0:06:53.710 Even in the Gospels themselves,[br]Judas is never seen 0:06:53.716,0:06:57.192 with the psychological complexity [br]that Caravaggio shows us. 0:06:57.903,0:07:01.868 In most portrayals, Judas either acts[br]under the influence of Satan 0:07:01.912,0:07:03.748 or out of simple greed. 0:07:05.295,0:07:08.045 We see very little of any[br]of the soldiers features, 0:07:08.210,0:07:10.863 they are faceless as well as ruthless. 0:07:10.942,0:07:14.022 The Roman officer's highly [br]polished metal clad arm 0:07:14.054,0:07:16.557 is placed in the very centre[br]of the canvas. 0:07:16.972,0:07:20.258 The harsh black metal serves[br]as a powerful contrast 0:07:20.275,0:07:22.900 with the vulnerable flesh [br]of the defenceless Christ. 0:07:24.150,0:07:26.328 The composition is clearly inspired 0:07:26.328,0:07:29.909 by a woodcut made[br]100 years before by Dürer. 0:07:31.553,0:07:35.433 It has been suggested that the highly[br]reflective surface of the armour 0:07:35.433,0:07:36.713 serves as a mirror. 0:07:36.875,0:07:40.338 Caravaggio may be holding up a mirror[br]to us, the viewer, 0:07:40.374,0:07:44.113 to remind us that theologically speaking[br]we are sinners by default. 0:07:45.010,0:07:48.150 The soldier's arm, along [br]with the swirling drapery 0:07:48.159,0:07:51.064 of John's cloak forms [br]"a picture within a picture" 0:07:51.210,0:07:53.398 emphasising the main story. 0:07:54.041,0:07:56.244 Caravaggio has done this before. 0:07:58.203,0:08:00.351 This is a self-portrait of Caravaggio. 0:08:01.085,0:08:04.305 There have been artists who put themselves[br]in their pictures before. 0:08:04.328,0:08:07.285 But not with such a "starring role"[br]as a character. 0:08:07.881,0:08:10.133 Caravaggio does it in several paintings, 0:08:10.192,0:08:11.982 most dramatically here, 0:08:12.004,0:08:15.276 painted at a time when there was[br]a bounty on his head. 0:08:16.024,0:08:19.133 In 1602, he was at the height of his fame, 0:08:19.193,0:08:21.521 and would have been recognisable[br]in the painting. 0:08:21.862,0:08:23.320 There are numerous theories 0:08:23.320,0:08:26.093 as to why he placed himself[br]so prominently in the picture, 0:08:26.305,0:08:28.817 but we can't deny a bit of narcissism. 0:08:29.403,0:08:32.510 The lamp he holds is not strong enough[br]to light the whole scene, 0:08:32.772,0:08:36.625 but symbolically, the lamp's light falls[br]on his own right hand 0:08:36.778,0:08:38.910 the instrument of his genius. 0:08:39.375,0:08:42.652 In the same way, his counterpart,[br]John's right hand, is visible: 0:08:43.100,0:08:44.561 His writing hand, 0:08:44.751,0:08:46.951 as the author of the book of Revelations. 0:08:47.453,0:08:49.123 Compositionally, Caravaggio 0:08:49.143,0:08:52.490 makes the parallels [br]of himself and John explicit. 0:08:54.109,0:08:56.379 According to counter-reformation thinking, 0:08:56.405,0:08:58.865 Caravaggio, as a painter[br]of Christian images, 0:08:58.877,0:09:01.037 has a purpose in propagating the faith. 0:09:01.496,0:09:03.726 And it is possible that compositionally, 0:09:03.782,0:09:07.089 he is placing himself[br]in the lineage of Christian preaching, 0:09:07.222,0:09:09.208 that begins with the apostles. 0:09:10.381,0:09:14.070 Caravaggio had his own reasons[br]for believing that redemption 0:09:14.102,0:09:16.632 could come to the most unlikely sinner. 0:09:20.693,0:09:25.593 Caravaggio's use of "Tenebrism" or extreme[br]"Chiaroscuro", violent contrasts, 0:09:25.593,0:09:28.099 required unusual working practices. 0:09:29.028,0:09:32.681 He worked in a dark room[br]using high lamps to direct the light. 0:09:34.155,0:09:35.795 He was once taken to court 0:09:35.795,0:09:38.305 for knocking a hole[br]in the ceiling of his appartment 0:09:38.353,0:09:40.244 to let a shaft of light through. 0:09:40.891,0:09:43.159 As we've seen in previous videos, 0:09:43.197,0:09:45.927 the ground coat has a huge influence[br]on the finished work. 0:09:46.337,0:09:49.400 Unlike most artists[br]who used a mid-tone ground 0:09:49.410,0:09:52.972 Caravaggio used [br]a very dark red brown base. 0:09:53.501,0:09:56.943 We can actually make out the dark ground[br]on the edges of the painting, 0:09:56.984,0:09:59.098 where previously a frame would have been. 0:09:59.584,0:10:02.319 We also see it[br]in the shadows and mid-tones 0:10:02.319,0:10:04.769 in a technique called "a risparmio". 0:10:05.707,0:10:08.735 Artists were warned[br]that painting light tones on dark 0:10:08.801,0:10:11.087 — the opposite from how[br]most of artists work — 0:10:11.087,0:10:12.560 would muddy the colours. 0:10:12.606,0:10:15.203 But Caravaggio used the ground[br]to build up shadows, 0:10:15.256,0:10:18.163 and show the dramatic contrast [br]of light and shade. 0:10:19.166,0:10:23.666 Infrared scans show us that unusually[br]he did not do preliminary sketches 0:10:24.471,0:10:27.542 but painted straight onto the canvas[br]with minimal preparation. 0:10:28.050,0:10:30.873 There are no drawings in existence[br]by Caravaggio. 0:10:31.353,0:10:34.687 He worked with live studio models [br]and would plot their positions 0:10:34.707,0:10:36.441 directly onto the canvas, 0:10:37.062,0:10:40.242 marking the primer coat with a point[br]or the back of his brush 0:10:40.553,0:10:42.098 to make a general outline. 0:10:44.362,0:10:47.915 Once he had this as his guide,[br]he could repose his models 0:10:47.915,0:10:49.845 in the same position when neded. 0:10:50.920,0:10:53.696 Artits like Leonardo da Vinci [br]would paint slowly, 0:10:53.814,0:10:57.706 layer by layer, letting each coat dry [br]before applying another. 0:10:58.631,0:11:01.347 Caravaggio however would paint[br]extremely fast 0:11:01.569,0:11:03.909 while the undercoat was still not dry, 0:11:04.194,0:11:07.678 and blend colours without waiting[br]for each application to dry. 0:11:08.160,0:11:10.607 Having the model he was paying in situ 0:11:10.862,0:11:13.312 accounted for the speed [br]at which he painted. 0:11:14.216,0:11:16.536 For flesh tones, he would blend in [br]lead-white 0:11:16.570,0:11:18.713 in increasingly delicate strokes 0:11:18.923,0:11:22.426 and for final highlights[br]he would use pure lead white. 0:11:24.264,0:11:28.264 Infrared images revealed he rarely [br]reworked "The Taking of Christ" 0:11:28.514,0:11:31.306 or changed the composition[br]in the painting process. 0:11:31.863,0:11:35.043 An exception is that a faint outline[br]of a second ear 0:11:35.045,0:11:37.905 shows that Juda's head[br]was originally higher. 0:11:38.870,0:11:42.604 "The Taking of Christ" was considered[br]a great masterpiece in his day, 0:11:42.938,0:11:46.221 but it would soon disappear [br]under mysterious circumstances 0:11:46.965,0:11:48.571 for 300 years. 0:11:50.798,0:11:53.056 Although famous during his lifetime, 0:11:53.056,0:11:56.953 Caravaggio was forgotten about[br]almost immediately after he died. 0:11:57.200,0:11:59.010 He simply went out of fashion. 0:11:59.507,0:12:02.597 But he was rediscovered by critics[br]in the early 20th century. 0:12:03.231,0:12:06.221 and although they knew[br]he had painted "The Taking of Christ" 0:12:06.221,0:12:08.301 it had not been seen for centuries 0:12:08.345,0:12:10.961 and as far as they were concerned [br]it was lost forever. 0:12:11.953,0:12:16.405 Ciriaco Mattei had commissioned[br]the painting from Caravaggio in 1602, 0:12:16.799,0:12:20.762 but by the time it was sold[br]by his descendants 200 years later, 0:12:20.764,0:12:21.998 to a Scotsman 0:12:22.017,0:12:24.721 it was thought to be a copy[br]by Gerard van Honthurst. 0:12:25.329,0:12:29.078 An Irish woman was on holiday[br]in Scotland in 1921, 0:12:29.187,0:12:31.537 when she bought the painting [br]in an antique shop 0:12:31.537,0:12:33.257 and brought it home to Dublin. 0:12:33.786,0:12:37.250 She later donated the painting [br]to Jesuit priests in Dublin, 0:12:37.326,0:12:39.366 who hung it in their dining room, 0:12:39.388,0:12:42.798 where it would remain. gathering dust,[br]for the next sixty years. 0:12:43.388,0:12:46.551 In 1990, the priests sent it[br]to be restored 0:12:46.987,0:12:51.317 and to the art world's schock, an expert[br]discovered that it wasn't a copy. 0:12:51.552,0:12:53.635 It was in fact a genuine Caravaggio. 0:12:54.749,0:12:59.397 In 1993, the long lost painting[br]finally went on view to the public. 0:13:01.720,0:13:06.813 After the murderer in Rome, Caravaggio[br]went to Naples, then Malta, then Sicily. 0:13:07.785,0:13:10.518 Everywhere he went,[br]he painted masterpieces 0:13:10.558,0:13:13.293 but he also created even more enemies. 0:13:14.832,0:13:18.941 After the life on the run, [br]he died alone on a beach in Tuscany. 0:13:20.375,0:13:23.635 Caravaggio would create[br]profoundly spiritual work, 0:13:23.778,0:13:26.150 while living his life in the gutter. 0:13:27.814,0:13:31.617 His paintings are compelling, [br]precisely because of this dichotomy. 0:13:32.372,0:13:34.542 They have an overwhelming truthfulness 0:13:34.542,0:13:37.530 that appeals to us[br]on a deep emotional level. 0:13:38.785,0:13:42.330 Caravaggio rejected the dominant[br]tradition of Italian painting 0:13:42.777,0:13:44.577 and painted Christian scenes 0:13:44.617,0:13:47.461 as if they were taking place[br]right here, right now. 0:13:48.781,0:13:51.293 In a strange parallel [br]of "The Taking of Christ" 0:13:51.473,0:13:54.173 his body also disappeared for centuries, 0:13:54.827,0:13:57.964 only to be discovered in 2010. 0:13:58.410,0:14:01.660 New tests showed that[br]it wasn't syphilis or malaria 0:14:01.665,0:14:05.145 or one of his many enemies[br]that killed him, as was thought. 0:14:05.800,0:14:08.729 It was lead poisoning — from his paints.