The Betrayal of Christ

The Roman Soldiers have come to arrest Christ. At the centre Judas betrays Christ with a kiss as described in the New Testament (Matthew 26: 47-52). On the left Saint Peter cuts off the ear of Malchus. The scene takes place at night; illumination is provided by the torches held aloft.

This panel formed the second scene after the 'Last Supper' (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lehman Collection) in the predella of the high altarpiece of S. Croce, Florence. The altarpiece was probably paid for by the Alamanni family, whose coat of arms was originally on it.