A hooded man in a dark cloak walks in front.
Bible in art · John
The Procession of Judas (Le cortège de Judas)
James Tissot · 1886–1894
Brooklyn Museum, New York
A long line of men comes down a path from the city walls at night and crosses towards the garden, lit by torches and lanterns. Tissot painted the whole procession in deep brown, with spots of firelight.
At its head walk hooded men in heavy cloaks; one carries a caged lantern low by his knees. Behind come soldiers and servants with torches and weapons, winding back up the slope to the gate.
From the text
- Judas brings “a band of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees” (John 18:3)
- “carrying lanterns, torches, and weapons” (John 18:3)
The artist’s own
- The procession seen coming down from the city walls
- Hooded figures leading the way
Details
At the head
A lantern
A caged lantern carried low.
Torches
Flaming torches light the crowd.
From the gate
The line winds down from the city walls.
James Tissot, French, 1836–1902. Brooklyn Museum, New York (Purchased by public subscription, 00.159.233) · Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper · Brooklyn Museum (Commons file page, «Permission»): "This image was uploaded by the Brooklyn Museum as a content partnership, and is considered to have no known copyright restrictions by the institutions of the Brooklyn Museum." — "No known copyright restrictions".