Judas ontvangt zilverstukken voor zijn verraad 1683 - 1733

Bernard Picart created this etching of Judas receiving silver for his betrayal sometime before his death in 1733. The composition is structured around a central table, drawing our eyes to the exchange of currency. Picart uses hatching and cross-hatching to create depth and shadow. The density of the lines suggests the weight of the figures and the solemnity of the moment, but it also does much more. Observe how the light catches the metallic glint of the coins, an element Picart uses to draw our attention to the moral implications of Judas’s act. The figures are arranged to emphasize the tension and unease. Judas, slightly set apart, reaches for the coins, his form hunched in a posture of guilt or greed, depending on your interpretation. Surrounding him are the figures offering the silver, their faces obscured or turned away, perhaps symbolic of their own ambiguous roles in this act of betrayal. This formal rendering effectively conveys the psychological weight of the narrative. The artwork remains a powerful meditation on morality and human fallibility. The enduring relevance of this piece lies not only in its narrative but in Picart’s masterful use of form.