Caravaggio's painting 'The Taking of Christ' has been delivered from Ukraine to Lithuania under heavy guard 0 16

According to Arūnas Gudinasa, the director of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art (LNMA), the arrival of the painting is not just another exhibition, but also a moral support for the war-torn country.

"This is more than just a demonstration of art. It is the protection of a valuable work, as well as a huge symbolic and moral support for colleagues who continue their professional activities even under such conditions," Gudinasa said to the BNS agency.

"It is a great honor for us that the first stop after Ukraine, where the painting will be safe from the war, is our museum," he added.

Before being sent to Lithuania, the canvas was exhibited in Kyiv, at the 'House of the Metropolitan' museum of the National Preserve 'Sofia of Kyiv'.

In July 2008, the painting was stolen. Two years later, the criminals were apprehended, and the canvas was kept as evidence for another 15 years.

The severely damaged work was restored by specialists from the National Restoration Center of Ukraine over three years.

According to Gudinasa, Lithuania had requested the painting for an exhibition since 2019, but with the onset of the war in Ukraine, it became more difficult to realize this.

"We have long known about this painting, its origin, and that it had been in the collection of the Odessa Museum of Western and Eastern Art for a long time, being its pride. (...) But with the start of the war, everything became complicated. In addition to complex legal procedures, Russian aggression began, which further complicated the delivery of the canvas to Lithuania," the museum director noted.

Throughout the journey to the Pranas Gudinasa Restoration Center, the painting was accompanied by armed security.

"In Ukraine and Poland, the cargo was accompanied by armed police. In Lithuania, armed members of the Riflemen's Union provided security right to the doors of the center. The painting is now in our museum, which is equipped with cameras and round-the-clock security. We believe we have ensured a sufficient level of safety," he emphasized.

"Our collections contain various values. The art museum of the Grand Duchy Palace also features works from the Baroque era that could interest many on the black market. But they have been hanging there for many years, and everything is fine," Gudinasa added.

Before the exhibition, restorers at the center will conduct X-ray spectral analysis of the painting to study previous layers of paint and restoration interventions.

"Perhaps beneath the layers, there will be a signature or some detail that will allow us to determine more accurately whether Caravaggio himself touched this canvas, or if it is a version by his followers and students," the director explained.

He emphasized that it is currently difficult for Lithuania to acquire works of global significance due to their high cost and lengthy negotiations, but such opportunities are gradually becoming more accessible.

The painting 'The Taking of Christ', also known as 'The Kiss of Judas', depicts the scene of betrayal. It is believed that in the right part of the composition, Caravaggio depicted himself — he holds a lantern, the light of which reveals this fateful moment from the darkness.

The work was created in 1602. There are known to be 12 versions of this painting, but there is still no consensus on which one is the original.

After the research is completed, the painting will be on display at the Vilnius Picture Gallery of the LNMA starting in June.