The Taking of Christ
1490. Oil on panel.Room 051A
This and five other panels at the Prado Museum (P6897, P6898, P6899, P6900, P6901), are some of the finest examples of the collaboration between Rodrigo and Francisco de Osona. They were probably designed as part of an altarpiece. The placement and physiognomy of the figures are in keeping with the style of this family of painters from Valencia. The diverse treatment of the paintings suggests the participation of some other member of their large workshop, beyond Rodrigo and his son, Francisco. Those stylistic changes are especially visible in the lower part of Jesus tunic in The Taking of Jesus, which is simpler and more hurried.
The expressive intensity characteristic of the Osonas is even more highly accentuated in this dramatic episode of the arrest of Christ, with Judas’s kiss and the episode of Malchus. The material treatment of armour and fabrics relates the work to Flemish art. On the other hand, the vast background landscape with its fantastic cliffs and luminous effects is inspired by Italian models.
