Dimensions: support: 367 x 303 mm
Copyright: NaN
Editor: Here we have William Blake's "Judas Betrays Him," a watercolor drawing with such a haunting atmosphere. What powerful emotions do you see conveyed through the image and symbols? Curator: Blake understood the weight of symbols. The kiss itself is a perversion of intimacy, weaponized. Note the torches held aloft: are they beacons of truth or instruments of a fearful mob? Editor: That's a stark contrast. It's almost as if Blake is asking us to question the motives of everyone in the scene. Curator: Precisely. Blake often used Christian iconography to explore deeper psychological and social truths. Editor: That really gives me a lot to think about. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure, and remember, symbols only hold the power we give them.
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This watercolour illustrates verses from St Matthew's Gospel. Christ prays for spiritual strength and guidance in the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing that he will soon be betrayed by one of his own disciples. Judas arrives with 'a great multitude with swords and staves' to arrest him. He kisses Christ as a signal that he is the one to be seized. The rest of the disciples look on in horror. This is one of more than eighty watercolours of biblical subjects which Blake made for his patron, Thomas Butts, between 1800 and 1805. Gallery label, August 2004
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