The Betrayal of Christ c. 1470 - 1480

This anonymous woodcut depicts the betrayal of Christ, a pivotal scene laden with symbolic weight. At its heart, we see the kiss of Judas, a gesture that in that moment became synonymous with deceit. Consider how the kiss, once a token of affection, morphs into its antithesis. This subversion echoes through time, recurring in different forms—think of the deceptive embrace in Renaissance paintings or the manipulative handshake in modern political cartoons. Each iteration carries the weight of its predecessors, charged with the psychological tension between trust and treachery. Even the halo surrounding Christ's head cannot mitigate the anguish of betrayal, a tension that engages us on a primal level. The symbol of divine grace is here in stark contrast to the very human drama of treachery. This motif continues its non-linear journey through art history, an eternal return of humanity's capacity for both the sacred and the profane.