Ge

Conscience: Judas by Nikolai Nikolaevich Ge (1891)

149 cm x 210 cm (about 58.7 in × 82.7 in)

Conscience: Judas is a beautifully tragic piece that uses very little light and color but says so much. The scene is just after Jesus Christ is betrayed by Judas Iscariot and arrested. At the extreme right of the piece, the prisoner and guards walk off the edge of the painting, lit only by torches. This tiny square of light occupies only a small patch of the overall canvas. The light source itself is just off-canvas and only illuminates the immediate area. Although tiny, the color is so radiant here that it almost dominates the work. Opposite this is a larger area of silver moonlight. The rest of the painting is total darkness which intensifies the colors. There are some comparisons that can be made between the lights that help with understanding the painting: in their warm and cool hues and temperatures, their brightness and dimness, and their possible symbolism.

In the silver moonlight, a lone, shrouded figure stands. His cloak is wrapped tightly around his body and head, and his back is to the viewer. I cannot see his face. This is Judas Iscariot. The dramatic act of betrayal is finished, and he stands in the silence of the aftermath, watching the crowd walk away. Now, he is alone with his thoughts. I think his posture is interesting. He is closed in on himself and wraps his cloak around his head and body as though he is chilly. Compare him to the figure to the extreme right, silhouetted by the orange. His posture is tall and open. He doesn’t appear cold at all.

I like that Ge hides Judas’ face. I can’t read his expressions, but I can see his body language. I see how he slowly grasps what he’s done as the warm light slowly recedes in the distance. The drama and chaos leave with the crowd. His conscience is the only thing he can hear now. It chills him and starts to weigh him down. The hot torches leave too, leaving just the cold, dark night. In Christian symbolism, Christ is the Light of the world and in many works of art, He is symbolized by a single candle or the sun. In many paintings, He has been depicted with a glowing, radiant light that provides the work’s only light source. As the torchlight and Light of the World move farther away, Judas is left in the darkness and cold.

I think there is a case to be made about the symbolism of the moon. It governs the night, the time when it was superstitiously believed that evil flourishes. Its silvery light can give objects an eerie glow and the surrounding blackness creates uneasiness and uncertainty. The full moon especially has negative associations. That the moonlight acts as a spotlight on Judas may hint at his state of mind. He is in a dark place, surrounded by evil and it plays on his mind and conscience.

For me, Judas is probably the most tragic figure in the Bible. In Christian belief, he was a close friend of God as one of the Twelve Disciples of Jesus Christ. He walked side-by-side with God, got to laugh with Him, eat with Him, and talk with Him. Judas was even trusted enough to be the group’s treasurer. Judas saw things that only eleven other people saw, and he threw it all away. Ge shows us the point where Judas finally realizes what he’s done. The warmth and light of God’s presence leaves him alone in the cold, dark night—alone in a black silence with his thoughts. They will convince him that he is beyond forgiveness and drive him to his sad, final act.