Viswahindu Rao

Perm: 3249158
TA: Shannon Gilmore
Section: Wednesday 4:00-4:50

Comparison of Duccio and Giottos Arrest of Christ

With just one simple kiss on the cheek of Christ, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus
Christ to the Romans and set off a series of events that influenced the entire Christian
religion. This monumental incident has been interpreted and portrayed in many forms of
art throughout the centuries, including in the masterpieces painted by Giotto di Bondone
and Duccio di Buoninsegna. While both artists incorporated naturalistic elements into
their respective paintings of this episode, Duccios Arrest of Christ focuses more on
telling the narrative of the story and creating a sense of depth in the environment, and
Giottos Arrest of Christ focuses more on the relationship between Jesus and Judas and
the chaos of the scene.
Giotto and Duccio were both active in the early Italian Renaissance period, and
earned names for themselves by experimenting with their styles and influencing countless
painters in Europe. They both used elements that are characteristic of Naturalism, a style
of art that portrays subjects and environments realistically and truthfully. One of the most
striking features that both paintings share is the realism of the clothing of the subjects.
Giotto and Duccio successfully used shading and light to paint convincing robes and
attire. The use of shadows, both prominently and subtly, in the folds of the cloth that
make up the robes really brings the paintings to life. The artists also incorporated realistic

facial structures and emotions on all the subjects in the painting, which make the viewer
feel as though he or she is looking at real people. The dramatic facial expressions of the
soldiers and the crowd show their anger and their commitment to arresting Jesus. Another
common characteristic of these paintings is the practical portrayal of the body structures
of the subjects; they arent elongated and they dont look flat against the background, like
most of the Byzantine art of Giotto and Duccios time. The use of shadows and realistic
proportions add to the effect of convincing the viewer that the people in the painting are
real and alive.
Although both artists used aspects of naturalism, Duccio placed more of an
emphasis than Giotto did on the narrative of the piece and placed it in a larger
environment with more depth. Duccios portrayal of the event clearly shows three
separate but simultaneous events: Peter severing the ear of a priests servant, Judas
planting a kiss on Jesus with the group of soldiers watching, and the disciples fleeing the
scene to the right. Duccio used the placement of the subjects in each of the respective
events to show a clear distinction between them, and they are placed next to each other so
the viewers eye naturally goes from left to right viewing each one individually. Duccio
utilized negative space between the crowd of soldiers around Jesus and the escaping
disciples, which creates a feeling of the movement of the fleeing characters to the right
and out of the painting, and the lines of the mountains slope draw the viewers eyes to
Christ. Giottos version of this event does not show distinct events like this, but contains
the severing of the ear and the kiss of Judas in one big mass of people. Furthermore,
Duccio used elements in the background to create a sense of depth in the painting, such
as the prominently displayed mountain and the large trees along the side of it. This use of

depth creates more of a sense of openness in the environment than Giottos tightly packed
scene. By making the environment seem larger, Duccio was able to place more emphasis
on the three separate events, because the viewer is allowed to take in each one
individually without feeling overwhelmed. In contrast, Giotto did not make use of depth
to create a large environment because he was not trying to portray three simultaneous
events in one painting.
While Duccios piece highlighted the story of this event, Giottos piece focuses on
the relationship between Christ and Judas. Every subject on the right of Judas faces left,
almost every subject on the left of Jesus faces right, and Christ and Judas meet in the
middle only a couple inches away from each others face. They are placed in the middle
of this chaotic scene, captured in an intimate embrace, while angry mobs erupt into
violence around them. Almost every character in the painting faces these two men in their
climactic meeting, which naturally forces the viewers eye to focus in on them as well.
There is even a man in the lower right pointing straight to Judas, so the viewer follows
his pointing hand and eventually arrives at Giottos intended destination. Even the
appearances of Judas and Christ are painted to highlight their relationship. Jesus is
portrayed as a tall and elegant man with a beautiful halo looking down at a heavy browed
and primitive-looking Judas. Giotto also placed more of an emphasis on the overall chaos
of the scene that Duccio does. His placement of characters is reminiscent of a battlefield,
showing both sides standing in lines facing each other with weapons raised in the air.
Giottos use of gestures and movement creates a sense of erupting physical violence, and
the viewer can almost feel the pushing and shoving that is going on around Judas and

Christ. Giotto included Peter cutting off a servants ear, but this is placed in the midst of
the chaos rather than as a separate event.
Giotto and Duccio both utilized naturalistic styles of painting in their respective
versions of the Arrest of Christ, but Giotto placed more of an emphasis on the interaction
of the characters of Judas and Jesus, while Duccio emphasized the narrative of this
biblical event. Both artists made use of the placement of characters and realistic figures to
convey their respective messages, and their unique efforts have earned their place in art
history.