John 15:18-21

'If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too'… words Jesus shares with us in today's Gospel reading. Our painting shows Jesus on the cross on the right side. In direct contrast to traditional depictions of the Crucifixion which are normally placed at the very centre of the work, our Russian painter of today, Vereshchagin, positions Christ, illuminated, on the extreme right of the painting, placing the primary emphasis of the composition on the crowd… the crowds who wanted Jesus to die. We as a viewer become part of this crowd. This is especially also due the monumental size of the painting at 301 x 401.3 cm. (118½ x 158 in.). The painting masterfully depicts and interrogates the nature and behaviour of mankind. Would we have stood in the crowds as well and simply looked on, peering over the hordes of people and horses to see the spectacle?

A large dark sky makes up about half the surface of the painting. Pharisees and a distraught group of Christ's supporters can be seen, women crying, Roman soldiers with their spears and lances standing ready to quieten any disorder that may arise, etc… plenty for us to look at and contemplate. The background of this painting has also to be seen in the context that pilgrimages from Russia to the Holy Land were promoted heavily and successfully at the time this was painted, to the extent that some 10,000 citizens of the Russian Empire were making this journey annually by the end of the 19th century.

Not everyone accepts Jesus, which was the experience from the start, as depicted in our painting. This non acceptance led Christ to a cruel death…