The Taking of Christ (Caravaggio) - Cultural References

Cultural References

• A nod was made to the finding of the "The taking of the Christ" by Caravaggio in the film "Ordinary Decent Criminal" starring Kevin Spacey
• The Hands of Caravaggio, an album from 2001 by electro-acoustic improvisation group M.I.M.E.O. was inspired by the painting.
• The painting was the subject of a special Easter program in 2009 in the BBC series The Private Life of a Masterpiece.
• Mel Gibson said that the cinematography in The Passion of the Christ aimed to imitate Caravaggio's style. The arrest scene in the film uses similar perspective, lighting, and placement of figures as the painting at the moment the soldiers seize upon Jesus.
• The painting was used as a candidate for an RTÉ competition looking for 'Ireland's Favourite Painting'